


The Intrigues of the Fukurodani Court

by Stacysmash



Series: Between Love and Duty: A Merlin AU [6]
Category: Haikyuu!!
Genre: Domestic, Established Relationship, Fluff, Humor, Jealousy, M/M, Merlin AU, More ships to be added, Political Intrigue, Prince Daichi, Sexual Tension, Shenanigans, Tooth-Rotting Fluff, Wizard Kuroo, part of a series, side AsaYaku, side KaiSuga, side bokuaka/bokukaori/akakaori/bokuakakaori
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-01-14
Updated: 2020-11-09
Packaged: 2021-02-27 13:53:47
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 8
Words: 54,698
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22248184
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Stacysmash/pseuds/Stacysmash
Summary: Bokuto's wedding has finally arrived and Daichi is excited to attend with Kuroo, Asahi, and Suga by his side. While in Fukurodani, there won't be any battles to be fought, but Daichi and Kuroo will have to deal with a whole new set of problems that they might not be prepared for...Part six of Between Love and Duty: A Merlin AUrecommended to start from the beginning
Relationships: Kuroo Tetsurou/Sawamura Daichi
Series: Between Love and Duty: A Merlin AU [6]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1210599
Comments: 111
Kudos: 90





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Honestly, I expect this segment of the Merlin AU to be a lot of fun. Extremely different from the other ones so far, no big battles but there will be a lot of things happening. MANY new characters introduced and more ships, he he he. *rubs hands together*

Kuroo sat patiently in front of the cave, his chin propped on his knees with his arms wrapped around them. He grinned as a shadow moved in the darkness, but he didn’t make any other movements. Behind him, Tsubasa, the pale dragon he’d met months before, released an encouraging sound deep in her throat. There was a higher-pitched call from the darkness and a young dragon emerged, her scales a deep amber color. 

She cheerfully bounded out of the cave but stopped dead when she spotted Kuroo in front of her. When she refused to budge, Kuroo winced and glanced over his shoulder, not certain what he should do.

“It’s alright,” Honda chuckled from where he was leaning against Tsubasa’s arm. “Let her get used to your presence. Talk to her.”

“Like, in human talk or dragon talk?”

“Human for now. Poor little thing wouldn’t understand the dragon.”

“But she doesn’t understand human.”

“At least it would be more pleasant on the ears,” Tsubasa explained in a blunt but gentle tone. 

Honda snorted and stuck his pipe in his mouth, apparently unable to offer any other _helpful_ advice. Kuroo sighed and turned slowly back toward the baby dragon who had crept a few steps closer while his back was turned. 

Her emerald eyes widened and her back arched, two wispy wings sprouting from her back. Kuroo knew he was two seconds away from watching her fly away, but he refused to act desperate. Slowly, he lowered his legs and held his hand out with his palm toward the sky.

“Miho,” he called softly, and the dragon cocked her head and blinked. “It’s okay, Miho. I’m Kuroo Tetsurou, the next dragon lord once my dad kicks the bucket.”

Kuroo smirked as his father grumbled behind him but he kept his gaze on Miho, watching as her wings folded back down. 

“I haven’t seen many dragons, you know, but I think you’re the prettiest one I’ve ever seen. I know it’ll take a while for you to trust me, the dragons have had it rough. If anyone knows how that feels, I do. We both live in a world that rejects them for foolish reasons, but at least I can pretend I don’t have magic. You can hardly hide the fact that you’re a dragon. 

It’s a shame you have to hide at all. I think dragons are amazing and I know a lot of people who would give anything to see you. Maybe one day we’ll have the freedom to show them…”

Kuroo sighed as his eyes fell to the ground. It wasn’t like him to wish for anyone’s death, but he believed that many things would be easier if the King no longer reigned in Karasuno. Of course, that would mean Daichi would be on the throne instead and that would spark a whole new set of problems. It was best to take the time they had and prepare for the future instead of wishing it would come faster.

His breath hitched as Miho nudged his hand up with her nose, urging him to pet her. Gently, he ran his hand up the center ridge of her face and between the two nubs sprouting from her head. Honda had told him that dragons loved being scratched there, so he tested it by lightly grazing his nails in that spot. Miho shivered and cooed, the sound so cute that Kuroo had to bite his lip hard to keep from squealing and scaring her off. 

“Aww, Miho, you’re such a good girl! Who’s the best dragon in the world? You are!”

“She’s not a dog, Tetsurou.”

“Every creature appreciates praise, _Father_ , including humans.”

Tsubasa chuckled, the rumbles sounding ominous coming from a grown dragon’s chest but Kuroo knew it was harmless. “I believe, Masamune, that that comment was directed at you.”

“I praise him!”

“Yes, but you have a lot of years to make up for.”

“And I’m not going to start by spoiling him.”

Kuroo sighed and clasped his hands on either side of Miho’s face. “I would never treat you in such a callous way, Miho. I’m going to be there for you, no matter what.”

“And if your duties protecting _the prince_ interfere, which one will you choose?”

“Daichi and I are one in soul and body; I’ll drag him along, of course.”

“Speaking of which, young Tetsurou,” Tsubasa interrupted, craning her head around to gaze off in the direction of Nekoma, “I can feel your other half’s longing from this distance. Either he misses you greatly or he is extremely bored.”

Kuroo burst out laughing, the sound startling Miho and he gave her a gentle pat to relax her. “I never would have imagined he’d get bored, not with grandma cooking and baking up a storm.”

“More likely she chased him out of the cottage before he gobbled everything up,” Honda snickered. “Come along, Tetsurou. Let’s get you back to your Prince Charming.”

Kuroo stood up and dusted the dirt off his pants. Drawn up to his full height, Miho seemed even smaller than when he was on the ground, her size somewhere in between a large dog and a small cow. It was difficult to believe that something as cute as her could decimate entire towns with a single breath once she reached adulthood. 

“I’m sorry, girl, but my true love is calling me away. I’ll try to visit you as often as I can. Maybe one day we’ll be best friends.” Kuroo gasped and looked over his shoulder at Tsubasa. “Could I ride her one day? Or is that forbidden?”

“That is between you and Miho. Personally, I wouldn’t let your scrawny legs climb up on my back.”

Kuroo glared at his father when he burst out laughing. “What about you? Have you ever ridden Tsubasa-san?” To his surprise, they both winced and looked in the opposite direction of each other. “What the hell is that?! It looks like I caught you two having a fling.”

“It’s not like that!” Honda grumbled. “To have a bond that deep with a dragon is a very intimate thing. Tsubasa has let me ride her on occasion.”

“Typically in life or death situations. The last time was when we were both cast out of Karasuno by the king. I was worried that he would be killed by his soldiers along the road, so I conveyed him to the very edge of Karasuno and then left with the rest of my kin to find our own safe haven.”

“Hmm, I see.” Kuroo glanced down at Miho and gave her one last scratch. “No pressure, girl. Let’s just start off as friends.”

“Good thing Daichi isn’t here to hear this or he’d start a war with that dragon out of jealousy.”

“Nonsense. He’d be happy to adopt her with me.”

“She has a mother.”

“Yes,” Tsubasa added with a stern look, “and the mother is about to run you off for good.”

“Leaving!” Kuroo laughed, and together he and Honda scrambled down the narrow path that led to the bottom of the steep hill. “Wow, she’s testy.”

“Give her a break. Miho’s one of the first dragon children to be born in years, so naturally, she’s extremely protective.”

“It’s just her?”

“Not exactly. I think another dragon in the mountains outside Shiratorizawa just laid an egg, but it has yet to hatch. Hopefully, those ax-happy fiends don’t get ahold of it. Of course, it’s probably safer there than here. Oops, watch your step,” Honda said as he slipped a bit on some loose rocks, but Kuroo reached out to keep him steady.

“Speak for yourself. I spent almost my whole life in these woods. Even played in that cave up there that Tsubasa’s using as a nursery.”

Kuroo smiled at the memory, remembering the elation he felt that he successfully climbed the hill all on his own. With skinned knees and covered with dirt, he planted his fists on his hips and gazed out at the surrounding land like a king admiring his domain. Of course, his pride was demolished when he received a harsh scolding from his grandparents when he returned in that kind of state.

“By the way, everyone in Nekoma knows of your powers, but how are you all keeping it a secret from the prince’s guards?”

“Yakkun tied Lev up and left him somewhere around town, pretending he doesn’t exist. Alisa may be looking after him but she’s under strict instructions not to let him go until we leave.”

Honda laughed and shook his head. “That poor lad. He’ll learn eventually, don’t you think?”

“Yeah, but until he proves he can use his brain and keep his mouth shut, he’ll have to be locked up and gagged. Honestly, I wouldn’t mind casting a spell that renders him speechless. At least that way he could still move around, but I think Yakkun enjoys the opportunity to lock him up. It’s less he has to worry about.”

“Well, at least you’re all leaving early in the morning. Bit sad it’s so soon, though.”

Kuroo smiled apologetically at his father and wrapped an arm around his shoulders. “Sorry, pops, but duty calls. We’ll only have one day in Fukurodani before the wedding and I know that Daichi’s using the opportunity to his advantage. The more connections he makes with other royalty, the more peace we’ll have when he assumes the throne.”

“True… that does include eligible young women, remember.”

Kuroo wrinkled his nose. “I know, trust me. The king wouldn’t shut up about it before we left. Apparently, he’d sent some letters ahead, arranging for Daichi to meet some young ladies while he’s there. It’s not going to be easy to watch.”

“He’s going through with the meetings?”

“What else can he do? It’s not like he can just announce to his father that he’s in love with both a man and his servant, expecting the king’s blessing. He’d have me killed or something. Besides, Daichi and I have talked about it many times. He said he’d have to go along with matchmaking opportunities, but he promised me he’d find some way to stop it from going too far.”

“It’s not going to be easy, but you both know that much already.” Honda sighed and patted Kuroo’s back. “Good luck with it, son, and make sure you don’t lose your temper.”

“Say that to Daichi. Between the two of us, his temper is far more lethal.”

“Yes, but he doesn’t have an astounding amount of magic boiling inside of him.”

Kuroo cocked an eyebrow at him and then looked down at his own body. It seemed calm to him; hardly boiling. He was born with magic, so he wasn’t sure what normal people felt but he could feel the difference in his body when magic was surging through him as opposed to when it wasn’t.

“Don’t worry, I’ll be fine. We have everything under control.”

Honda didn’t answer and his smile seemed a little forced. Kuroo shrugged off his worry and eagerly picked up his pace. He was looking forward to the new experience and to visit a kingdom where not only was magic allowed, it was encouraged.

—

Since the last time Daichi had visited Nekoma, the residents had created a practice ring for sparring matches. It was mainly so Kai could test out his weapons and armor, and Daichi was relieved for the diversion while he waited for Kuroo to return. He smirked as he watched Kai subtly meet Asahi’s blows without expending as much energy as the latter. 

“Kai, when are you going to come back to the capital with me and join my guard? I’ve never seen Asahi blocked so much.”

“I know, it’s really impressive,” Suga sighed, fanning himself even though it was a cool spring day. Yaku was standing on the other side of him and snickered. The two of them had become thick as thieves from the moment they met and the same happened between Asahi and Kai. It warmed Daichi’s heart to see them all getting along, but it also made him miss his own counterpart. 

Kuroo had been gone all day and it was nearly suppertime. It was difficult explaining to Suga and Asahi why Kuroo would be spending time with Honda, the famous dragon lord who rescued them several months before. It was Honda himself who quickly provided the answer, asking Kuroo to assist him since they had bonded over their journey.

Luckily with their new friends, neither one of them paid it a second thought as Kuroo remained absent. Daichi felt irritated with himself that it bothered him so much. It was important that Kuroo spend quality time with his father and learning about dragons. He didn’t need to be by Daichi’s side every second of the day.

“Your Majesty, your sighing isn’t going to bring Kuroo home faster.”

Daichi glared at Suga and poked him in the ribs with his elbow. “You’re one to talk Mr. Can’t-take-his-eyes-off-Kai’s-assets.”

“I have a healthy respect for all his hard work, there’s nothing wrong with that. Hey, Asahi! Do you need a break? I can step in.”

“It’s fine. I’m not really that tired.”

“Sure, you are!” Suga chirped as he skipped into the ring, grabbed Asahi by the arm and threw him toward Daichi and Yaku. With him out of the way, Suga unsheathed his sword and spun it around with a flourish, all the time eyeing Kai up like a full-course meal. From what Daichi could tell, however, Kai didn’t seem to mind even though he was sweating from his encounter with Asahi.

“Go easy on me, Sugawara. I’m not sure I have the energy to handle you.”

“That’s fine. I can do all the handling.”

Daichi clicked his tongue at his brazen friend, but Yaku burst out laughing.

“I’ve never met anyone as confident as him. He’s amazing!”

“That’s one word for it,” Daichi answered dryly.

Asahi chuckled. “He’s not usually this bad. I think he’s taken a particular liking to Kai.”

“Yeah, and Kai seems to be interested in him as well,” Yaku laughed and glanced up at Asahi. His face fell immediately as Asahi pulled up his shirt to wipe his face. Daichi snickered as Yaku’s jaw went slack and he eyeballed Asahi’s toned stomach, gleaming with sweat.

Daichi cleared his throat. “Yaku, do you want some water?”

“Huh? Uh, no, but I bet Asahi does. Would you like to suck on my skin? I MEAN— would you like to drink from my waterskin?!” Yaku yelled, squeezing his eyes shut and shoving it against Asahi’s chest. 

“S-Sure, thank you.” As he took the waterskin from Yaku, Asahi gave a wary look at Daichi who simply shrugged and turned back to the fight in the ring. After a few minutes, Yaku was able to shake off his flustered state and fell into easy conversation with Asahi. 

_Spring is definitely in the air_ , Daichi thought with a smile. As the sun began its descent behind the trees, the atmosphere shifted around town. The golden beams cast a warm glow across the training pit, making the scene seem hazy as the light illuminated the stirred-up dust around Kai and Suga. Both pairs had quieted their voices and suddenly Daichi felt like he was intruding on something private.

Sighing, he wandered away without a word, leaving his best friends to their new romances. He smiled and greeted the other townspeople but most of them were on their way home to have supper. His stomach growled at the thought. He would have been happy to go back to Kuroo’s family’s house for the evening and help his grandmother, Mariko, with preparing the meal. Unfortunately, he was forbidden from entering before it was finished since he kept sneaking bits of food behind her back.

“You look lost.”

Daichi blinked and looked around. It was Kenma’s voice, but he couldn’t tell where it was coming from. Then he heard a snicker above his head and glanced up to find him lounging on a tree branch with a book in his hand.

“What are you doing up there?”

“Reading.”

“Oh, sorry if I disturbed you.”

“You didn’t. You wouldn’t have even noticed me if I hadn’t said something. Besides, it’s getting too dark to read now.”

Daichi stepped back to give Kenma some room as he climbed down slowly. Once his feet were on the ground, Kenma turned back to him and regarded him carefully.

“So, _are_ you lost?”

Daichi huffed out a laugh. “I don’t know. I wouldn’t say I’m lost as much as I’m clueless. It isn’t often that I find myself without a task to perform or anyone to manage. Everyone’s doing their own thing and I’m just…”

“Waiting for Kuro?”

“Ugh, when you say it like that, it sounds like my whole world revolves around him.”

Kenma smirked. “It’s not that. You both rely on each other. Even when things are monotonous, I’m sure you always have him there to make you laugh, and vice versa.”

“Yeah, I suppose you’re right.”

“Of course, I am. Don’t worry though because he’s finally coming back.”

Daichi followed the direction Kenma was pointing and spotted two figures emerging from the woods. In the dim light and at that distance, it was difficult to tell them apart considering their tall and lanky figures. It was their gaits that mainly gave them away, Honda with his trudging feet and Kuroo with his nonchalant saunter. And then there was their hair, both disasters but in different ways.

He smiled as Kuroo’s laugh carried across the distance. It was important that Kuroo have a chance to get to know his father better, but it was quite another thing to hear them enjoying it. Daichi was overjoyed for him, hoping that the two had many years to develop the father and son relationship they never had. Any bit of jealousy that crept up was instantly subdued; although he never knew his own mother and his father was cold, Daichi had other family members that he could rely on for support and warmth.

When Kuroo caught sight of him, he perked up and jogged the rest of the way. After giving Kenma a hair ruffle, much to his displeasure, Kuroo beamed down at Daichi and wrapped his arms around him. 

“Hey, did you miss me?”

Daichi twisted his lips to avoid smiling and shrugged. “Not really.”

“Uh-huh. Did you know that certain dragons are so in tune with nature that they can sense strong emotions from miles away?”

“That’s horse shit.”

“It is not, I heard it straight from Tsubasa’s mouth that you were pining for me. So I hurried down to your side like the gallant lover I am. Is your heart settled now that I have come back?”

“If my heart could vomit, you’d be covered in it. Let me go,” he growled, trying to wiggle out of Kuroo’s hold. 

“Stop denying it. I won’t make fun of you, I promise!”

“I haven’t said anything and you’re already making fun of me. Let go before I throw you down.”

“Kuro, he’s not bluffing. I can see it in his eyes.”

Kuroo’s arms fell away and he hung his head glumly. Daichi huffed and took his time straightening his clothes. Servant or lover, it didn’t matter. There was no way he’d give in to Kuroo so quickly. 

Once he was satisfied, Daichi slipped his arms around Kuroo’s waist and pulled him back in. He gazed up into his sad eyes and smiled.

“Fine. I missed you. I was subjected to watching Suga flirt with Kai and Yaku getting flustered by Asahi, and I had no one to laugh about it with.”

“You should have got me,” Kenma said. “I’d love to humiliate them if I could.”

Kuroo gave him a withering look. “You’re vicious. And _you’re_ one to talk with you sitting on Yamamoto’s lap or hanging on his back.”

Kenma shrugged. “He’s convenient.”

“Wow, true romantic you are.” Kuroo shook his head and turned back to Daichi. His face softened as he slipped a hand through Daichi’s hair. “I am sorry I’ve been away from you all day. It wasn’t my intention.”

“It was important. You need to spend time with Honda-san and it’s good that you’re learning more about dragons.”

“And it would be even better now if we go get something to eat,” Honda laughed and clapped them on their backs. “I think I can smell Mariko-san’s food from here!”

Kuroo and Daichi chuckled and after saying good night to Kenma, they followed Honda home. There was no reason to worry about Suga or Asahi who were staying with Yaku and Kai respectively. Of course, with the rate things were going, Daichi wondered if they’d switch bed assignments around before retiring for the night. 

The atmosphere inside the cottage was warm and inviting. Daichi remained quiet as they ate together, observing the dynamics between the family with curiosity. When he was there last autumn, the situation was dire, and they had a lot of things to discuss. He didn’t like remembering the tense moments between Kuroo and himself when he found out he had magic, but it was also those moments that brought them together in a new and special way. For that reason, he would always treasure that time.

But at the present time, there were no urgencies. He watched as Kuroo’s grandfather, Hiroto, scolded Honda for swearing at the table, only for Honda to turn around and scold Kuroo for the same thing. Daichi shared an amused look with Mariko but they kept their mouths shut before they got dragged into it as well. 

Regardless of the chiding, Daichi felt the comfort around the table. It was so vastly different from dining with his father and Kiyoko back at Karasuno castle where they had to be careful of everything they said. All the lavish finishings of the dining hall couldn’t warm the frigidity of his father’s presence. 

“Hey, are you alright?” Kuroo whispered into his ear. 

Daichi smiled from his breath tickling his skin. “Yeah, I’m fine. It’s nice being around a normal family for once. Makes me a little jealous.”

“Not sure how normal we are, but I get your point. I hope…”

When he failed to continue, Daichi gazed up at him and leaned into his side. “You hope?”

“I hope that one day you’ll think of this family as your own. They think of you as another grandson,” Kuroo said softly, nodding toward Hiroto and Mariko. “And my father has known you almost as long as me and cares for you as well. I guess what I’m trying to say is, if you and I are going to stay together, that would include our families as well.”

In the warm candlelight, Daichi could make out a faint blush across Kuroo’s cheek. His eyes remained on the plate in front of him while he fiddled with the last bit of food. Daichi beamed at him and slipped his hand under the table to give his knee a reassuring squeeze.

“There would be no greater honor than being a part of your family.” 

Kuroo met his gaze as a wide grin split across his face. They remained like that for a few moments, sharing silent thoughts only through their expressions while the rest of the family ignored them.

“I just wish it was easier for you to be a part of my family,” Daichi finally continued with a sigh. “If only there was a way that I could without jeopardizing your safety.”

“Or our relationship.” Kuroo’s smile was soft and understanding as he reached under the table to grasp Daichi’s hand. “At least I’m accepted by Kiyoko. That counts for something, right?”

“That counts for a lot. Then again, there’s also—”

“What are you two whispering about over there?” Honda asked, narrowing his eyes suspiciously. “You should keep that romantic talk for the bedroom, so you don’t gross the rest of us out.”

Hiroto scoffed. “You and Rumi were absolutely intolerable when you were married. Whispering and giggling together, couldn’t keep your hands to yourself. Tetsurou and Daichi are far more mature than you used to be.”

Honda pouted and grumbled under his breath. Daichi avoided looking at him to stay on his good side, but he had to bite his lip hard from laughing. Next to him, it sounded like Kuroo was having a harder time as he snickered into his hand. 

“I suppose you’re right,” Honda said. As Daichi glanced back at him, he thought Honda’s eyes looked sad although there was a smile on his lips. “If she were here now, I would smother her with love and adoration. She deserved nothing less.”

Daichi glanced up at Kuroo, worried about what he would say. It was no secret that Kuroo was bitter about Honda leaving them when he was just a baby, especially when his mother fell ill and passed away. But it seemed that most of Kuroo’s anger had faded away as he reached out to pat his father’s shoulder.

“I’m sure she’d do the same to you. Mother was never short on love to give, and I know she hated it that you were out in the world without anyone by your side.”

Honda hummed and smiled at Kuroo, his eyes glimmering with tears. “Life isn’t always like the stories, where two people who love each other stick together until the very end. It does happen, miraculously, look at your grandparents.”

“We’re not dead yet.”

“But more often than not, life has a way of ending something pure and beautiful. It’s hard not to be bitter about it, knowing what could have been. But it’s important to treasure the love we have when we have it. To adore each other and if you’re torn apart, remember fondly without any anger to poison the memories. It’s the only thing we can do, Tetsurou. 

“Of course, that doesn’t mean we can’t hope for the best. I know if your mom was here, she’d be rooting for you two like I am. I can’t say what the future holds but if there’s anything we can do to help you both stay together, know that we’ll support you.”

“Thanks,” Kuroo choked out, taking a deep breath to hold back his tears. “I appreciate that.”

“We appreciate that,” Daichi added on as he wrapped an arm around Kuroo’s back and rested his cheek on his shoulder. 

“And I know Rumi wouldn’t want us getting all weepy and sentimental. She’d want us to laugh together, so cheer up!” Mariko said jovially and slid a bowl of rolls toward Daichi.

Snatching one of the rolls, Daichi sighed. “Mariko-san, you know exactly how to cheer me up.”

That night as Daichi rested his head on Kuroo’s arm, he lazily trailed his fingers over the length of his ridiculously long stomach. Although he was slender, there were lean muscles pressing against his finger, built from all the physical labor Daichi subjected him to on a daily basis. They had been together since the autumn and over that time, Daichi had memorized every curve and dip of Kuroo’s body, thinking every part was stunningly beautiful.

“Are you sure you don’t want to make love tonight?” Kuroo chuckled. 

“I wouldn’t mind but I think I’m too nervous.”

“What would you have to be nervous about? We may be going to a royal wedding, but it’s Bokuto’s. And I’ve heard a lot of stories about Fukurodani and it sounds like a fun place to visit. They’re open to magic and hold wild festivals all the time.”

“I am excited to see it, but unfortunately I won’t be the only royalty there.”

Kuroo snorted. “You sound like everyone else when referencing the nobility. Are you sure you’re a prince?”

“I know, it’s just… I’m confident in my abilities as a prince and I am not afraid of being king one day. But that’s within the borders of Karasuno. I was never very good at interacting with nobility, no matter which kingdom they were from. Kiyoko was always better at it.”

“Or rather people just enjoy sucking up to Kiyoko because she’s so pretty.”

“True, although that didn’t make it any easier on her. Before I left, Takeda gave me specific instructions to befriend whoever the representatives from Shiratorizawa and Aoba Johsai were, and it is something I would have done even if he hadn’t asked. It’s important for the future of Karasuno that we reach an understanding and perhaps one day, an alliance. I’m hoping I don’t start a war instead.”

Kuroo snickered and curled his arm around him to pull him closer. As his lips pressed against his forehead, Daichi closed his eyes and savored it. That alone was enough to soothe his worries.

“You’re going to be fine. There’s no one in the world I trust more than you, Daichi, a feeling I know I share with multitudes of other people. No matter who the representatives are, I know they’ll sense your strength and honesty right away. It would be foolish of them not to extend their hand in friendship.”

Daichi sighed. “I hope you’re right. Honestly, I have more confidence in Shiratorizawa rather than Aoba Johsai, although the people from there scare the hell out of me.”

“Why do you think they’d be more friendly to you then?”

“Because they don’t revere magic like the citizens of Aoba Johsai do. The representative from there may snub me because of my father’s persecution of magic users.”

“Can’t blame them for that.”

“I thought you were on my side!”

“Your side, my love, not your father’s. There’s a distinct difference, and you need to show them that the future of Karasuno lies in your hands and not your father’s. That’s why Bokuto is willing to forge an alliance with you once you take the throne. The other kingdoms may follow in his footsteps.”

“Maybe… although I can’t go advertising that my opinions on magic are different. There are spies everywhere and that kind of information would quickly get back to my father.” Daichi winced and lifted his face so he could meet Kuroo’s gaze. “That reminds me, we’ll have to be careful about our relationship while we’re there. For a while, I’ll have to treat you as a regular servant. I wish I didn’t have to, but people love to talk.”

“No, I understand. I promise I’ll behave. What about when we go to bed? Do I have to sleep separately from you?”

“Most suites reserved for royalty have adjoining rooms for their servants and guards. I think it’ll be fine then to act as we usually do.”

“Good, because I’ll need a lot of loving after being ignored by you all day.”

Daichi stopped tracing his finger over Kuroo’s body and glared up at him. “I was ignored by _you_ all day. Where’s my loving?”

“I asked if you wanted to make love!”

“Love doesn’t always have to be sexual.”

Daichi wasn’t really angry but it was hilarious seeing the incredulous expression on Kuroo’s face. Before he accidentally cracked a smile, Daichi shuffled onto his other side and huffed, keeping his back to Kuroo. But as Kuroo sputtered, trying to find the right words to comfort him, Daichi couldn’t hold back a snort.

“Oh, I see how it is. Does Mr. Pouty Prince want some loving? I’ll give it to you, your _Majesty_.”

Daichi’s breath hitched as his shirt was tugged up. He turned his head to see what Kuroo was doing but Kuroo’s arm draped over him to keep him still. Wet, open lips pressed against his skin and blew hot hair against him, creating an undignified sound and a ticklish feeling that had Daichi screeching.

“Cut that out!”

“Nope,” Kuroo said and leaned over his side to blow on Daichi’s belly as well. It was a well-known fact that Daichi was much stronger than Kuroo in the physical sense, but all his strength seemed impaired by his laughter. His limbs felt like wet noodles and it was pathetic how he slapped them against Kuroo to get him to stop. 

Eventually, Kuroo was laughing too hard himself to continue and focused on using his fingers to tickle him instead. Without Kuroo’s arm to hold him down, Daichi was able to flip on his back and retaliate. It was convenient that Kuroo went to bed without a shirt on and Daichi’s fingers went straight for his nipples. 

“Noooo, not that!” 

Daichi laughed in his victory and wrapped his legs around Kuroo to hold him still. “You should have thought of that before declaring war on your prince. Now you’ll reap the consequences.”

Despite his confident words, Daichi felt too exhausted to continue and fell limp back on the bed with a heavy sigh. 

“Never mind.”

Kuroo snickered and fell on top of him, nuzzling his face into his neck. “Do you feel properly loved now?”

Daichi smiled sleepily and lifted his head to kiss Kuroo’s head. “Yes, thank you. I feel much better.”

“Good. And you’re going to be great tomorrow; I have no doubt.”

Daichi believed him, although Kuroo was a little biased. The capital of Fukurodani would be filled with people to witness Bokuto’s wedding and he couldn’t imagine any of them being very impressed with him. Still, Kuroo’s words comforted him and allowed him to fall asleep while stroking his fingers through his silky black hair.


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm sorry it's taken me so long to update!! Now that all my events are over, I'll be focusing on this fic and my KuroOiDai catboy fic. Since it had been so long, I worked on a timeline for this installment just so I end up including all the events I wanted to, and it may end up being a lot longer than I originally thought, ha ha ha.

Kuroo wrinkled his nose as he watched the trio in front of him, laughing on their gallant war horses. It wasn’t bad, driving a fancy carriage filled with their luggage; the role included a plush pillow beneath his rear end, which was far better than a saddle. But it was lonely and the road from Nekoma to the capital of Fukurodani was several hours of monotonous hills and meadows. 

Now that he was no longer consoling Daichi and he had nothing else to distract him, Kuroo felt his own nerves bubbling up. Karasuno castle was grand, but he heard rumors about the other kingdoms and their incredible splendor. It made him grateful that he was just a servant and could wander around without garnering much notice. He expected Daichi to attract quite a bit of attention, however.

He trusted Daichi and their plan. He did _not_ trust all the women who were probably itching to meet him. The future queen of Fukurodani was already decided, Aoba Johsai already had a King and Queen with a young son as an heir, and no one ever knew what was happening with Shiratorizawa. He was certain that the title of the Queen of Karasuno would be the top prize many would kill for and this event would be their chance.

“Tetsu, are you alright?”

Kuroo startled at Daichi’s voice, noticing for the first time that he had drawn his horse back beside the carriage so they could talk. “Yeah, sorry. Just thinking.”

“About what?”

He sighed, feeling a little ashamed already. “I know what you have to do while we’re there. I’m just worried about what lengths some women will go to grab your attention these next two days.”

Daichi gave him a reassuring smile. “Don’t worry. You know I’m good at dodging and blocking attacks.”

“Ha! Somehow I think this will be a little different.”

“Listen, while there may be several meetings set up with eligible young ladies, my primary focus will be establishing a good rapport with the emissaries from the other kingdoms, whether they’re a representative or actual royalty. Even Takeda-san agreed that I should consider that my main prerogative… in secret of course. Once that part is complete, perhaps I can come down with a cold, most likely from the long trip.”

Kuroo snickered. “That would work. I’m also good at embellishing things, going into disgusting detail if any of those ladies want to know the reason why you can’t make it.”

“For once, I’d be okay with that,” Daichi laughed. 

Kuroo beamed at him, noting how handsome he looked in his regal clothing. He seemed more relaxed than he had the night before, so Kuroo swallowed his own nerves and decided to enjoy the experience. After all, he was looking forward to seeing Bokuto and Akaashi again. More than anything, he was curious about how they were handling the impending nuptials. 

They knew they were drawing close to Fukurodani when the roads became more crowded. Commoners dressed in their finest clothes walked along, playing their instruments and dancing with their ribbons. Merchants drove their carts by, hollering above the clamor advertising what wares they had to sell. With more people around, Daichi had resumed his position in front of the carriage with his loyal knights leading their own small procession. Kuroo knew it was time that they put on their masks of the typical indifference felt between a master and his servant. Because of Daichi’s quick reassurance, he felt much better than before. 

In fact, it was difficult to feel disheartened when there was such liveliness in the air. It was strange, but the atmosphere felt like Bokuto’s own demeanor, chaotic and full of sunshine. Kuroo wondered if the entire kingdom of Fukurodani was chasing after their leader’s spirit, or if Bokuto himself was simply a product of it. 

As they finally crested over a large hill, the sight took Kuroo’s breath away. The capital of Fukurodani swept through the valley below, winding roads snaking toward the castle with colorful houses crammed against each other like gleaming gems on a necklace. The castle and all of its towers and spires rose up above the rest of the town like a wave made of porcelain white spikes. Embellishing the castle walls were fans of gold that glistened in the morning sunlight. The opulence of Fukurodani was beginning to make Karasuno look like a raggedy old village.

It was when they finally entered the gates of the city that they truly entered the party. Fukurodani’s blue and gold flags fluttered everywhere, accompanied by streamers of many different colors. Every street corner had musicians playing different instruments and songs, but all of them were merry. 

Never in Kuroo’s life had he seen so much happiness thriving in one place and it infused every fiber of him with joy. If only he could kidnap Daichi and live there with him, but he knew that would never work. Daichi’s sense of duty would never allow it and neither would Kuroo’s desire to bring freedom to the magic users of Karasuno.

With the immense crowds swarming the streets, it took them a while to reach the castle gates. As they finally approached them, two knights dressed in full regalia approached them with welcoming but mischievous smiles. The shorter of the two stopped and gave a gallant bow.

“Your Majesty! It’s an honor to see you again.”

Daichi chuckled as he dismounted, Suga and Asahi following suit. “It’s good to see you as well, Komi. I hope we’re not late.”

Komi straightened up, shaking his head. “Not at all! And we’re delighted that you have arrived with a reasonably sized entourage. Prince Oikawa brought everyone he ever met and their mother along with him. Pain in the ass to find rooms for all of them.”

Daichi laughed, hardly offended by Komi’s language. Kuroo was also excited to meet with Bokuto and his men once again. He had no doubt that in battle they would be extremely dangerous, but otherwise, they were a fun bunch to be around. The blonde knight standing next to Komi, however, wasn’t one Kuroo recognized.

Daichi glanced at the mysterious knight as well and Komi startled, stepping back to motion toward the knight.

“Forgive me, your Majesty! You wouldn’t know Konoha or another one of our knights since they remained behind on our last visit. They both utilize magic in both their fighting and everyday lives. I think you can understand why they opted out of the visit.”

Daichi nodded gravely and turned toward Konoha. “It’s good to finally meet you, Konoha.”

“Is it, your Majesty?” Konoha asked, his smile slipping into a teasing smirk. He took a step closer to Daichi and raised his hand between them with his palm up. “I would have thought the idea of meeting anyone who uses magic would be—” he paused as a small flame erupted from his hand, “startling!” 

Kuroo’s magic flared up with his instinct to protect Daichi, but he was able to keep it under control for the moment. Asahi and Suga quickly gripped their swords but didn’t remove them as Daichi threw out his hand to stop them. Konoha’s eyebrows raised up, and he watched Daichi carefully as he leaned in closer to the flame without any fear.

“Not at all,” Daichi replied and puffed out a strong breath, blowing the flame out completely. 

Konoha’s face split into a wide grin and he burst out laughing. It was cut off immediately, however, when Komi yanked him back and slammed his fist on the top of his head.

“You idiot! Akaashi told us to politely greet the prince, not intimidate him!”

“But he wasn’t intimidated. He didn’t even flinch, did you see that? That was great!”

Komi groaned and shoved him away toward the gate. Turning back toward them, he wore a strained smile and bowed. 

“I am so sorry about that, your Majesty. We’ll take you inside now and show you to your rooms.”

“It’s fine. Thank you, Komi.”

“The servants will take your horses to the stable and bring your belongings up behind us. Right this way.”

Kuroo startled when a Fukurodani stable hand appeared next to him on the carriage seat, holding his hand out to take the reins. His smile was friendly though, so Kuroo set them in his palm and scooted over to give him room. The doors of the carriage had already been opened and a whole line of servants were plucking the luggage out of it and setting a quick pace back into the castle. 

_By this rate, our stuff will be all put away before we even set foot in the rooms._

As Kuroo swung his legs off to step down, Daichi wandered toward him and offered a hand. He didn’t need the help, but it always flustered him whenever Daichi dabbled in sweet gestures like that. His face was warm as he accepted it and stepped down from the carriage, but he managed to flash Daichi a teasing grin.

“Thank you, your Majesty. How gallant and charming you are!”

Daichi smirked. “Of course, it comes naturally.”

Kuroo snickered and immediately started thinking up ways to poke fun at him. Sugawara chose that moment to join them and clear his throat loudly.

“Are you two finished _flirting_?” he asked through clenched teeth while his lips remained in a smile. “Remember all your duties while you’re here, your Majesty.”

Daichi winced and released Kuroo’s hand. “Sorry,” he said, but his eyes met Kuroo’s as he said it. 

Kuroo smiled and nodded, waiting until Daichi went ahead with Suga before following. Komi and Konoha were whispering while they waited, seeming incredibly amused by what they observed. They pasted _angelic_ smiles on and led the way into the castle but Kuroo already had a bad feeling about it. It was going to be harder than he thought pretending that the only relationship between him and Daichi was that of a prince and his servant.

As they entered through the grand doors of the castle, Kuroo gasped, whirling his head around to take in the entirety of the entrance hall. It was spacious and the pure white walls were polished so well that he could have used any of them as a mirror. Giant pillars stood like guardians around it, marking the entrances to the many hallways that led to other parts of the castle. 

Like the outside, there were elegant gold embellishments but with them came little whimsical touches, particularly the marble cherubs with smiles that looked uncommonly mischievous. Somehow, the castle itself seemed a perfect representation of what Fukurodani was, at least from what Kuroo had observed from its King and his knights. It was powerful, not to be underestimated, yet warm and friendly. Kuroo was entranced by it and he wished he had months to explore Fukurodani rather than a couple of days. 

Komi and Konoha led them up the grand staircase in the center of the entrance hall and Kuroo was greatly relieved he hadn’t been expected to carry anything up it. In fact, he realized that the servants that had taken their luggage weren't anywhere to be seen. 

_Idiot, they have their own entrances and corridors_ , he chided himself. Even Karasuno, whose castle wasn’t nearly as fancy, had halls meant only for servants. He was always thankful for them, allowing him to get around quickly without having to run into visiting lords or the king himself. 

Glancing around at the nobility scattered throughout the hall below and the ones descending the staircase, Kuroo wondered if one of the servants of Fukurodani would show him the layout of their back hallways. It would be appropriate after all, and the less exposure he had to nobles, the better. Bokuto had been a rare exception when he got along with him all those months ago. The first time he met Daichi, he’d gotten thrown in the stocks for his belligerent mouth and he had a feeling that it could always be worse when it came to the rich and royalty.

When they finally arrived at their suite, Kuroo was thankful that it was a similar size and quality to Daichi’s room back home, just slightly more elegant in style. One difference was the bed was a little larger and was a four-poster, the posts connecting to the ceiling with embroidered drapes flowing down from it that could be closed.

_That’ll be handy tonight_ , Kuroo thought with a smirk. 

“Hope it’s to your satisfaction, your Majesty,” Komi said with a bow.

“Of course, it’s lovely. There are rooms for my knights as well?”

“Yes, over there is a room with two beds that should be sufficient, same with right here for your servant. We were unsure of how many you’d be bringing, so there are several beds in there.”

Daichi smiled and caught Kuroo’s eye. “Plenty for you to choose from,” he said, winking.

Suga sighed and buried his face into his hands. “Your Majesty…”

“Don’t worry, Sugawara!” Komi chirped, clapping him on the back. “It doesn’t bother us at all, they’re not nearly as bad as Bokuto and Akaashi. Speaking of which, Akaashi should be here soon to go over some things with you and take you to meet Bokuto. He’s been dying to see you, your Majesty. Anyway, we’ve got to check on some other things. Holler if you need anything!”

Daichi’s face was bright red as Komi and Konoha bowed and walked past him, snickering under their breaths. 

As Komi walked by Kuroo, he placed his hand on his shoulder and whispered, “I’m happy things worked out for you.”

Unfortunately, his whisper was loud enough that everyone in the room could hear and as the two knights exited the room, Daichi turned around and cocked his head at him.

“What did he mean by that?”

“Huh? It’s obvious isn’t it that he’s just happy for me? It’s not like I told him we were together or anything.”

Daichi narrowed his eyes as he came closer, not stopping until he stood right in front of him. “Tetsu, that sounded as if he already knew about us, but we didn’t get together until after their visit to Karasuno.”

“Oh yeah… Um, it’s possible that he figured out the embarrassing crush I had on you back then. Apparently, I wasn’t very subtle about it. Isn’t that funny?” he asked, laughing nervously. To his overwhelming relief, Daichi’s face softened.

“That is a little funny. You must have had it pretty bad.” His deep velvet voice sent a delicious shiver down Kuroo’s spine.

“I was hopeless, pining away for my _handsome_ master,” Kuroo replied as he wound his arms around Daichi’s neck. With a chuckle, Daichi set his hands on Kuroo’s waist and pulled him closer. The only thing on Kuroo’s mind at that point was getting his lips on Daichi’s, but Suga’s incessant throat clearing interrupted once again.

“Seriously, I miss the days when you two just made fun of each other all the time.”

Daichi shrugged. “We still do that occasionally.”

“Yes, in between being disgustingly sappy. Listen, I know about you two, Asahi knows, and if one of Fukurodani’s knights knows, the whole lot of them do. But Daichi, any more than that and Kuroo will actually be in danger, you know that, right?”

Daichi’s body stiffened beneath Kuroo’s arms and he immediately stepped back, sighing. “You’re right, I can’t be complacent just because people are friendly to us here.” He gazed up at Kuroo and reached up, stroking the hair out of his eyes. “I need to act colder to you from now on but I promise that at night, I’m all yours.”

Kuroo grinned down at him and wiggled his eyebrows. “I look forward to it.”

There was a knock at the door and after sharing one last look with Daichi, they stepped away from each other. 

“Who is it?” Kuroo called, stepping into his servant role.

“It’s Akaashi.”

With a nod from Daichi, Kuroo crossed the room and opened the door for him. Akaashi smiled and bowed as he stepped in. His attire was slightly more elegant than Kuroo remembered him wearing in Karasuno, but it suited him well.

“I hope you had a pleasant journey, your Majesty.”

“We did, and you can call me Daichi, Akaashi. I don’t mind.”

“If that is what you wish. Bokuto-san is very anxious to meet with you. He hasn’t stopped bouncing around his room all morning.”

Daichi laughed. “I would think it’s the wedding that’s got him all excited.”

“It’s everything, but he was looking forward to seeing you in particular. If you would like, I can take you to him now. Of course, this afternoon and evening will be quite busy for you, so Bokuto-san will understand if you need a little time to rest and refresh yourself.”

“What is it that will keep me busy?” Daichi asked with a grimace.

Akaashi smiled and slipped out a sheet of paper from somewhere inside his robes. “I have been in close correspondence with your steward, Takeda-san, and together we have arranged some meetings for you.”

Daichi frowned as he took the sheet from him and looked it over. “Ugh, there are so many. Will I have time to eat?”

“One of the meetings will be a luncheon and one later on a supper. All the others will have tea and things to nibble. Don’t worry, Daichi-san, you have absolutely nothing to worry about.” 

“Right, nothing at all. If I’m going to be so busy, perhaps I should change my clothes at the very least. These might be dusty from the road.”

“That is a very good idea. I will wait outside the room and when you’re ready, I will take you to Bokuto-san.”

He bowed and slipped quickly out of the room. Suga came up beside Daichi and plucked the letter out of his hands. 

“You _will_ be busy! Asahi and I will work out a schedule between us to accompany you since we’ll need to get some rest before guarding your door at night. At least for the first part of the day, we’ll both be with you.” 

“That’s fine,” Daichi answered though it didn’t seem like he was listening. His eyebrows were knitted tight as he glanced up at Kuroo. “Are you going to be okay?”

Kuroo smiled back, hoping it looked more reassuring than he felt. “Of course! I trust you, remember? Will I be with you during these meetings though?”

“Do you _want_ to be there?”

“Not particularly. I think it’ll be harder if I watch, but I’ll come if you’d prefer me too.”

“No, I don’t want to make you uncomfortable. You can accompany me to meet Bokuto since I know you’d like to see him as well, and then after that, you can use your time as you please. Just try not to get into trouble, okay?”

“Come on, look who you’re talking to!” Kuroo received not one, but _three_ withering stares. “Okay, fine. I’ll be a good boy.”

“Good. Now help me dress into something appropriate.”

Taking a glance around, Kuroo spotted Daichi’s luggage set on a bench at the foot of the bed. He quickly opened one of Daichi’s trunks and sorted through his various outfits. He was tempted to put him in one that he never liked himself that made Daichi look as round as an egg, but he had just told Daichi he would be good. Instead, he pulled out one of his more elegant pieces, leaving his nicest one for the wedding. 

There were none of their usual jokes and sneaky hands while he dressed him. Even though they were still in the privacy of Daichi’s room, they needed to start practicing their distinct roles. Despite that, Kuroo couldn’t resist stepping back from him once he was finished, giving out a low whistle.

Daichi laughed. “I look that good, huh?”

Kuroo hummed, fingering the collar of Daichi’s embroidered tunic. “I wish I could keep you in here all to myself.”

“Soon,” Daichi murmured and lifted onto his toes, brushing their lips together. He pulled back too soon for Kuroo’s liking but his grip on Kuroo’s arms was warm and reassuring. “We should go, Akaashi’s waiting for us.”

Suga and Asahi were already waiting by the door and as Daichi joined them, Asahi opened it for him. Kuroo sighed as he followed them out of the room, but his glum attitude didn’t last long as Akaashi led them into the royal wing. He was excited to see Bokuto again and wondered if he’d be the same as he was back in Karasuno. It was possible that he was more relaxed then and would be more unapproachable in his own kingdom, trying to maintain the air of a king who demanded respect.

Akaashi stopped outside one ornate door and motioned for them to wait. After a quick knock, he slipped inside, keeping the door open just enough to fit his body through.

“Your Majesty, I have brought Prince Sawamura Daichi of Karasuno.”

“Great! I was wondering when he’d turn up. Let him in, Akaashi!”

Kuroo grinned, hearing Bokuto’s excited voice booming from inside the room. Just from that, he could tell that he wasn’t much different from his visit which was a great relief. Staring at Daichi’s back, Kuroo noticed some of the tension release from his shoulders and recalled how nervous he’d been the night before. Although Daichi had yet to meet the delegates from Aoba Johsai and Shiratorizawa, Kuroo was sure that he’d be more confident from here on out.

The doors to the room opened further and Akaashi motioned for them to enter. Daichi hadn’t taken two steps in when he was swept up into a tight hug that nearly took his feet off the floor. Suga and Asahi hardly seemed alarmed as they burst out laughing, narrowly avoiding Daichi’s swinging legs as Bokuto whirled him around. 

Kuroo covered his mouth to hold back his own laughter, knowing that he needed to subdue his presence as much as possible. It was difficult in such company, however. Bokuto’s very presence was a wave of contagious exuberance.

At Akaashi’s request, Bokuto finally set Daichi down and clapped him on the arm. “It’s good to see you, Daichi! Good trip?”

“Yes, it was an excellent journey.”

“Great! That means you should make it more often.”

Daichi cocked an eyebrow. “You could visit us more often as well.”

Bokuto winced and rubbed the back of his head. “Ah, I would if you were the king, but your dad’s such a bast—”

“Ahem, _Bokuto-san_ ,” Akaashi interrupted, a flash of anger in his dark green eyes. “Daichi-san might not appreciate hearing his own father referred to in such a manner.”

“Even if it’s true?”

Akaashi exhaled slowly, pinching the bridge of his nose. “What do you think?”

“Aw, you’re probably right. Sorry about that, Daichi.”

Daichi smirked and shook his head. “It’s fine. Not that I want to hear my father insulted, but I understand that he makes many people uncomfortable. How are you? Are you nervous about tomorrow?”

Bokuto barked out a laugh and puffed his chest out. “Nah, I’m never nervous. What’s better than a giant party where most of the attention is focused on me? It’s going to be bigger than my birthday!” His golden eyes flickered to the two guards behind him and before they could react, Bokuto rushed around Daichi and caught both of them in a half hug. “Hey, hey, look at these handsome rogues. Pity you couldn’t bring Tsukishima and Hinata with you, too.”

“Considering your reasons for wanting them here, Bokuto-san, I hardly think it would be appropriate given the circumstances.”

Bokuto wrinkled his nose over his shoulder at Akaashi. “Spoilsport. You would have enjoyed their presence as well.” His head turned swiftly, and his golden eyes landed on Kuroo. “Ha! Here’s one guy you won’t mind me hanging out with. No messing around with this pining fool. How are you, Kuroo?” 

Kuroo didn’t have time to answer the question as Bokuto hugged him straight on, his thick arms squeezing the air from his lungs. When Bokuto finally released him, he gripped his arms and looked him over thoroughly with a wide grin on his face.

“Looks like you’re doing alright! Clothes are nicer, too. Giving special favors to your master, huh?” he asked with a wink.

Kuroo winced, avoiding Daichi’s gaze as much as possible. “Um, well, his Majesty can’t have even his servants looking like beggars for an event such as this, can he?”

“Didn’t Daichi get you that for your birthday?” Asahi asked, clueless as ever. Kuroo nearly buried his face in his hands, if anything to hide from the intrigue radiating from Bokuto’s expression.

“He’s buying you gifts now? You rogue! From our last visit, I knew it wouldn’t be long before you lured him into bed.”

Kuroo pressed his lips tight, his cheeks catching on fire as he stole a glance at Daichi. He didn’t look angry just yet, but he did seem suspicious as he walked toward them, clearing his throat.

“Bokuto, what do you mean by that?”

Bokuto’s grin finally slipped as he glanced back and forth between them. Eyeing Daichi warily, he leaned in closer to Kuroo to whisper loudly, “Wait, have you still not confessed yet? Did I mess it up?”

“No, it’s fine, it’s just… Excuse me for a moment, your Majesty.”

Kuroo stepped away from Bokuto and took Daichi’s arm, leading him across the room. Akaashi took his place and spoke with the king in a low voice, most likely chiding him for prying too much. Suga pinned Kuroo with an unimpressed look that made him feel even worse about everything.

“Tetsu, what’s going on?” Daichi whispered softly, stroking his arm. It calmed him down but also made him feel a little guilty.

“I’m sorry. I forgot what a mess I was when Bokuto came for his visit. Honestly, it’s hard keeping a secret from him and Akaashi, they’re both more perceptive than they seem. Or I’m just that obvious. Back then, they knew better than anyone that I was in love with you and that I wouldn’t be swayed from it. I guess it’s only natural they’d want to know if anything happened between us. I’m sure we can trust them though…”

To his surprise, Daichi didn’t seem angry. There was a light flush on his cheeks as he smiled up at him and cleared his throat. 

“There’s no harm done. Let’s go sort this out.”

With a deep breath, Daichi led the way back to the others, offering Bokuto a slight bow. “My apologies for any awkwardness just now. I was unaware of how close you actually were to Tetsu last time you visited and what you might have discussed. I will be honest with you, Bokuto, and let you know that Tetsu and I are together and have been for a while.”

“Nice!” Bokuto cheered, slapping Kuroo hard on the arm.

“With that said,” Daichi continued with a firm voice that snatched Bokuto’s attention right back to him, “I would appreciate it if you and Akaashi kept it quiet. My father does not know, and I am not ready for him to find out. I know how easily rumors can travel, even between kingdoms.”

Bokuto shook his head firmly. “I understand! We won’t tell anyone, I give you my word. I’m happy for you, though! Kuroo’s a good guy and disgustingly loyal to you. I tried to steal him away a couple of times, but he wouldn’t hear of it.”

Daichi hummed, trying to subdue his smile. “That _is_ good to know.”

There was another knock at the door and Kuroo couldn’t help staring at it in confusion. As far as he knew, this particular meeting was supposed to be between Daichi and Bokuto only. Akaashi hardly seemed surprised, however, and approached the door.

He cracked it open to peek through, noting who stood on the other side, before swinging it wide open. A fond smile was on his lips as he bowed. 

“May I present Lady Suzumeda Kaori, future Queen of Fukurodani.”

Kuroo scurried behind Daichi, stepping back into his role of servitude. He watched curiously as a young woman entered the room, giving them all a warm smile. She was tall and slender with long blonde hair pulled back in some immaculate braids. Her gown was everything an intended queen should be wearing, the finest fabrics of midnight blue with golden edging and embroidery.

At first glance, Kuroo was surprised that she was chosen to be Bokuto’s queen, although it was obvious that she was very pretty with her blue eyes and soft freckles dotting her face. Not that he’d ever met a queen but for some reason, he always pictured them being stern and severe. It was possible it was only his own perception dealing with Daichi’s father, but Kaori seemed nothing like that. Everything about her seemed warm and calm, not a judgmental bone in her body.

Daichi smiled and stepped forward, giving her a polite bow. “It is an honor to finally meet you, my Lady. Congratulations on your marriage.”

Kaori beamed back at him and gave an elegant curtsy. “The honor is all mine, your Highness. Koutarou has talked about you often and gives you the highest praise.”

As Daichi and Kaori fell into the typical polite conversation between nobility, Kuroo stole a glance at Akaashi and Bokuto. He knew they had prepared themselves for this moment for years when Bokuto would inevitably marry a woman that would hopefully lead to an heir. It was still a bit of a shock seeing them leaning together, watching Kaori with equally proud smiles full of affection. It tickled his curiosity, wanting to know more about their relationship with each other and what it would be like after tomorrow’s wedding.

“Are you looking forward to tomorrow, my Lady?” Daichi asked, earning a light-hearted laugh from the lady.

“It will be a grand event, but I’m terribly nervous.”

“I’m sure you will do fine.”

“Oh, I know! I’m just worried about what _he’ll_ do,” she giggled, gesturing straight at Bokuto who gasped at the insinuation.

“What do you mean? I’m going to be amazing!”

“That’s what I’m afraid of!” she groaned, burying her head into her hand. “What would you have to be amazing at? It’s a wedding, Koutarou. You must stand there, say what you need to say, kiss me when you need to, and then behave during the banquet.”

Bokuto grinned back at her in a menacing way. “You don’t have to worry about anything. I know just what I’m supposed to do and I know just how to add my own personal flair.”

At that, she raised her head with a horrified expression on her face. Akaashi stepped forward quickly, taking her hand and patting it gently.

“Do not worry, my Lady. I will make sure that everything goes smoothly tomorrow.”

She pressed her lips tight as she eyed him closely. “If anyone can keep him in line, it’s you. Although… I know you sometimes tend to enjoy his _amazing_ feats even more than he does.”

As she smirked teasingly at him, Akaashi blushed slightly. “We are both aware of how important tomorrow is. I promise we’ll behave.”

All the tension melted away as she laughed and pulled him close, wrapping her arms around his neck and resting her head on his shoulder. “It’s such a pity I’m not marrying you, Akaashi.”

“I know,” he said with a sigh, wrapping his arms around her waist. “It may not be official, but it’ll almost be as if we will be married.”

“True.”

Daichi turned slightly to share a surprised look with Kuroo, one he reciprocated completely. The nature of Kaori’s relationship with Akaashi and Bokuto was becoming exceptionally clear. They two continued embracing each other for a few moments before they opened their eyes and glanced at Bokuto, almost in unison. At seeing his slumped shoulders and pouting lips, they both smirked and opened their arms to him.

“Aww, Koutarou! You know I’m excited to marry you tomorrow!”

“Come here,” Akaashi urged gently. “You know we’re just teasing you.”

Bokuto perked up and ran into them, nearly knocking them off their feet but his arms kept them from falling. He leaned in and peppered kisses all over Kaori’s face, grinning as she giggled and tried swatting him away. Then he turned to Akaashi and did the same only he leaned into the kisses with a serene smile on his face. 

Daichi laughed softly and shook his head as he leaned close to Kuroo. “It’s a relief.”

“What is?”

“Not many royal weddings are as happy as this one is going to be. Most participants don’t have the right to choose their spouse or have such accepting relationships surrounding it. I’m thankful for it.”

“Same here. She really understands and loves them both. I wouldn’t like it any other way.”

“Yes… it also gives me hope,” Daichi said softly, reaching out to stroke his hand. It was a delicate touch, but it made Kuroo feel hot all over. 

“Hope for what? That we’ll meet some girl who would be okay being with us both?”

Daichi glared up at him. “That’s not what I meant. It gives me hope to have a wedding in the future that I could actually look forward to.”

Kuroo’s lips parted but there was nothing he could say. So much of their conversations revolved around Daichi not getting married to someone else that they hardly ever talked about the potential for _them_ to get married. It seemed like such an impossible dream that Kuroo never considered it. But as realistic a person as Daichi was, he could see hope for it. Kuroo decided that if Daichi could believe it, so could he.

Bokuto finally released the other two and Daichi left Kuroo’s side to join them. Akaashi apologized for the display and stepped back, but Bokuto just laughed and wrapped his arm around Daichi’s shoulders.

“He doesn’t mind! Ah, but we’ve got to get going! I left Oikawa and Ushijima in a room alone together!” He burst out laughing, bending over and resting on his knees. Kuroo failed to see what was so funny about that but spying Akaashi’s paling face, he imagined that it was probably something that only Bokuto thought humorous.

“If that’s the case, Bokuto-san, I suggest you take Prince Daichi to meet them immediately before war breaks out between their kingdoms.”

“Don’t worry, Oikawa can’t declare war, he’s just a prince! Oh, no offense, Daichi.”

“I am not offended. I know that only a king or queen can make such decisions.” Daichi, still trapped beneath Bokuto’s arm, met Akaashi’s eye. “According to the schedule you showed me, right after meeting Ushijima and Oikawa I will be heading directly to the,” he paused to wrinkle his nose, “matchmaking sessions.”

Akaashi smirked and nodded. “Yes, I’m afraid so.”

With a sigh, Daichi slipped out from Bokuto’s hold to face Kuroo. “I guess, for now, our paths divert. Will you be alright?”

“Of course! I can go back to the room and organize your attire, or something.”

“Kuroo, you will not be joining him?” Akaashi asked though his eyes were understanding. “Then, if you have some extra time, I would like to take you somewhere. I was hoping for the chance to show you since I’m certain that you will thoroughly enjoy it.”

“Oh, well, in that case…” Kuroo said, glancing back at Daichi who beamed back at him.

“Go with him! Enjoy yourself, but remember—”

“Behave, I know,” he chuckled, giving Daichi a wink.

Daichi shook his head but his smile couldn’t be subdued. Bokuto laughed and threw his arm back around Daichi, leading him out of the room and talking a mile a minute. Suga and Asahi trailed after them and Kaori took the chance to go her own way, most likely to attend her own packed schedule. Kuroo stepped out into the hall with Akaashi but hesitated to go any further, watching Daichi walk further and further away from him.

“Are you worried?” 

Kuroo winced at Akaashi’s question but still couldn’t look away from his prince. “A little. It’s not that I don’t trust him, far from it. But the ladies he’ll be meeting with… I’m worried they’ll be cleverer than he expected and tangle him up in some scheme.”

Akaashi laughed softly. “I see. If something like that happens, I will do my best to get involved and unravel their scheme. For now, I have something that I think will take your mind off it completely.”

As Daichi disappeared around the corner, Kuroo finally sighed and turned back to his companion. “I find that hard to believe.”

“Trust me,” Akaashi said with a secretive smile tugging at his lips and motioned for Kuroo to follow. With a deep ache in his chest, Kuroo wandered beside him, feeling more lost and out of place than he did the day he arrived at Karasuno castle to become Ukai’s apprentice. But he trusted Akaashi and despite his worries, the man had piqued his curiosity and he was looking forward to what he had to show him.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> LOL it's hard keeping secrets in Fukurodani


	3. Chapter 3

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter will be entirely Kuroo's POV! The next one will focus on Daichi's

Kuroo had been trying to memorize the way Akaashi was taking him in case he needed to get back to their suite on his own, but it was difficult when there was so much to look at. Besides the magnificence of the castle, Kuroo spied knights waiting outside rooms or milling around that wore different colors than Fukurodani and he couldn’t help but wonder which kingdom they were from. 

And not that he cared much about how nobles dressed, but he was fascinated with how different their fashion could be from others. Most nobility he’d seen in Karasuno tended to be modest and subdued, opting for luxury over anything ostentatious. Trailing behind Akaashi, however, he spotted ladies in gowns that could hardly fit through a doorway and plumed hair accessories that made them look like exotic birds. 

Sometimes the men could be just as fancy, their shirts and coats in glittering fabrics that occasionally draped along the floor behind them. It wasn’t anything that Kuroo found appealing, but he had to admit the garments were beautiful when they caught the light. It reminded him of the river he grew up next to as a child the way the morning light shimmered across the surface of the water.

“Are you enjoying yourself?” Akaashi asked, a playful smile resting on his lips.

Kuroo chuckled. “A little, yes. I’ve never seen so many different types of nobles before. Do you know where they’re all from?”

“Of course, otherwise I would hardly be good at my job. Within each of the kingdoms are several districts, which I’m sure you know Karasuno has as well. Aoba Johsai is the most diverse in its tastes, but they are all flamboyant in nature and often choose to stand out more than being comfortable.”

“I see… I think I can pick out which ones those are.”

Akaashi stifled a snicker and gestured to a group hovering at the base of the staircase they were heading toward. “Within the bounds of Shiratorizawa, however, the fashion remains mostly the same. From farmers to royalty, they all prefer darker, muted tones and tend to dress practical. I suppose a lot of that has to do with the environment considering Shiratorizawa has more rugged lands and mountains whereas Aoba Johsai is almost entirely made up of cities with just enough space separating them for farmland.”

“That is interesting. What about Fukurodani?”

Akaashi stopped outside a set of grand doors and hummed, considering it. He smiled warmly as he turned to Kuroo and said, “Honestly, it ranges all over the place. Some choose more outrageous fashions and others more practical. Perhaps I am biased in saying this but to me, one thing they all have in common is a sense of joy. We love patterns and colors, soft fabrics but also ones that shine. What do you think of Karasuno’s fashion, Kuroo-san?”

“I always thought it was alright, but now I’m beginning to think it’s a bit boring. Of course, it would be weird to see Daichi in anything else.”

Akaashi pressed his lips together to subdue a grin. He gestured toward the doors beside him and placed his hands on the ornate handles.

“This is what I wanted to show you,” he said softly, almost with reverence, and Kuroo’s heart raced to see what was inside. Akaashi pulled the doors open slowly and Kuroo squinted from the radiant light within. Once his eyes adjusted, his lips parted with a gasp. Akaashi chuckled and grabbed his arm, pulling him inside one of the biggest rooms he’d ever been in, if it could even be called a room. “Kuroo-san, welcome to the Royal Library of Fukurodani.”

“This is a _library_?!” he hissed. Of course, it was obvious given the columns of bookshelves that curled toward the domed ceiling like spires. But he couldn’t imagine how many books filled the entire space. “Are you sure some of them aren’t fakes?” he asked, causing Akaashi to snort in surprise.

“Yes, trust me, they’re all real. Come with me.”

Kuroo reached his hand out to grip onto Akaashi’s shirt as a guide, knowing he wouldn’t be able to stop looking around him. Scattered around the library were many people but the space was so vast that he could trail around for hours without passing someone in the same aisle. 

“Does anyone ever get lost?”

“Sometimes but we do have many directions posted around to avoid that. There are even stories of people dying in here, but it’s been ages since that occurred. There are some delicious ghost stories because of that though. If you look over there,” he said, pointing off to the right side of the room, “you’ll find many books of histories and wild tales, but that’s not what I wanted to show you.”

“Wait, there’s something specific in here you wanted to show me? Because Akaashi, I got to tell you, I’m already plenty impressed.”

“Then I look forward to your next reaction even more. We’re just about there.” 

He took Kuroo’s elbow and led him to the left side of the library where it seemed noticeably vacant compared to the rest of it. Finally, he stepped into one aisle and pulled one text out at random, handing it to Kuroo. It seemed old by the worn edges of the leather binding and gold lettering of the title was almost worn off completely. On the very front of the book, however, was an etching of human bones.

Kuroo’s eyes widened and he opened it up. He flipped through the pages quickly and carefully, so he didn’t damage them anymore, and his heart beat harder with every paragraph he skimmed and every small diagram beside them. Licking his lips, he looked up and met Akaashi’s eyes.

“This is a medical text?”

Akaashi beamed and gestured down the aisle. “This whole area is dedicated to medical books of all kinds. Basic anatomy, treatments, any disease or infliction currently known to man has information stored here somewhere, and you can search through them at your leisure. You can also borrow books while you’re here, but they must remain within the castle and need to be returned before you depart. If you’d like to take notes on anything, there are tables spread throughout the library that have sheets and ink provided.”

“This is amazing,” he whispered, overwhelmed with the possibilities. “Thank you so much for bringing me here, Akaashi. I only wish we were staying longer.”

“I’m sure but at least for today, you may enjoy it as much as you wish. I have other duties I must attend to now, unfortunately. When you need to return to your room, you can ask any of the servants to show you the way. Just tell them that you’re attending the Prince of Karasuno.”

Kuroo grinned at him sheepishly. “Yeah, that would be helpful. There’s no way I could make it back on my own. Thanks again, Akaashi.”

“It’s my pleasure,” he said humbly, his smile a touch sympathetic. 

Kuroo’s eyes followed him as he wandered away. It struck him that his whole reason for doing this for him was to give him a pleasant distraction, knowing what Daichi had scheduled that day. If only he didn’t; Kuroo knew that as much as he loved books and pouring over informative texts, Daichi loved them as well although _he’d_ be holed up in the historical section instead. He wished that they could have been there under different circumstances, but they weren’t so he was determined to make the most of what time he had.

He closed the book Akaashi had handed him and placed it back on the shelf. Old man Ukai’s small medical library back home contained the necessary texts for a court physician but Kuroo could almost hear him grumbling to himself, wishing that they had more volumes on medicinal herbs or an instruction manual on poultices since Kuroo, for the life of him, couldn’t get the hang of it. With that for guidance on where to begin, he set off down the aisle in search of something that could be useful. 

Luckily, all the rows were separated into classifications, and he was able to find several books that could help him with both subjects. He piled them in his arms and wandered off in search of one of those tables Akaashi had told him about. It didn’t take him long to find one that was vacant and had stacks of sheets just waiting to be filled with information. 

Kuroo felt giddy as he sat down and plucked a sheet from the stack. It reminded him of his childhood when he’d stay up late reading by candlelight one of the few books of spells his father had left him. For years, he had yet to experience that sense of awe, filling his mind with fresh knowledge that he would certainly be able to use. He never would have dreamed that their short trip to Fukurodani to attend Bokuto’s wedding would give him such a rare opportunity.

He got to work immediately, flipping through a book on medical herbs and jotting down notes and descriptions of each. As carefully as he could, he placed the sheet over the book and traced a light sketch of it in case the description of it wasn’t enough. When he was satisfied with that, he tossed it aside and picked up a similar book from the pile, but this one was about poisonous plants and the antidotes to cure ingestion of them. It was mind boggling to him how many villagers shoved random plants in their mouths without checking if they were safe. And by villagers, he mainly meant Lev after being dared by Yamamoto. 

His hand was already beginning to cramp by the time he closed that book, but the one on poultices was just to refresh himself and he didn’t think he’d need to take many notes. As he pushed the plant books to the side and grabbed the next one, he flexed his neck and glanced around the room. 

It was incredible how comfortable he felt in such a grand space. The room was filled with windows, allowing for plenty of light to touch every winding aisle of books. It also kept the temperature warm where he would have expected such a giant room to be frigid and drafty. And as elegant as the room was, it didn’t make Kuroo feel out of place at all. He imagined it was the whimsical and haphazard organization of everything that made it feel less cold and stringent, yet he had no doubt he’d be able to find whatever he was looking for.

He thumbed through the text on poultices quickly but halfway through, his eyes began to droop. When he realized he’d been reading the same paragraph over and over, he huffed out a sigh and set it on the pile. He narrowed his eyes at the final book and wrinkled his nose. There was a whole fount of delicious knowledge at his fingertips and the last thing he wanted to do was waste the precious time he had on learning more about poultices.

With an assertive nod, he stood up and stacked the books neatly. He spied a long desk where someone had piles and piles of texts and books laid out and saw someone set more books upon it before heading into an aisle. Picking up his own pile, he shuffled quietly over to the man working at the desk.

“Excuse me,” he whispered and waited for the older man to raise his gaze, his eyes looking a little sleepy himself. “Is this where we return books when we’re done?”

The man’s lips curled up at the edges and he slowly gestured his hand along the never-ending piles of books. “Yes, just find any spot you can. They’ll get put back eventually, probably when this damn wedding is over and we can get back to normal.”

Kuroo chuckled softly and quickly found a place to set his pile. For the man’s sanity, he considered taking one book out at a time and remaining in the aisle to put it back himself. His eyes scoured the rows, seeing many subjects that were interesting and would be beneficial to look through, but it wasn’t enough. He wanted to make a real discovery, something to tickle his mind.

When he got to the end of the aisle, he looked both directions with a sigh. To the right was just an open space with more tables, so he turned to the left and slipped into the next aisle. Immediately, his eyes spotted a book on potions and his hand shot out to grab it before he even took a moment to think about it.

His eyes were larger than normal as he thumbed through it. “Strange,” he muttered to himself. “Potion making is intertwined with magic. I’ve never seen an actual book on it, it’s too dangerous to… have.” 

Although his eyes remained locked on the page, his vision blurred slightly as the realization filled his mind like smoke clouding a small room. It was so simple, so obvious. He wasn’t in Karasuno, but that world was all he knew. With his heart pounding violently, his eyes drew upward to the hundreds of books spread out before him.

His breath caught as he read the titles, some focused on potions and alchemy, others cataloged spells, organized throughout the shelves in concordance with their use. He quickly set the potion book back on the shelf and rushed down the aisle, his head swiveling in every direction. There were sections on battle magic, healing, and defensive spells. His eyes swept over books on spells with uses he’d never even conceived of. 

When he reached the end, he turned back around to face the whole aisle. His chest heaved with gasping breaths. It was overwhelming, having so much information at his fingertips that he yearned to have his entire life. He only owned one or two spell books and they were basic and worn nearly to dust. They were kept under a floorboard, taken out only when he was certain no one would walk in on him.

Kuroo glanced around. There were no guards, no one watching him at all. Anyone could walk right into the aisle and pick a book off the shelf and no one would condemn them. In fact, they wouldn’t think anything of it. _This_ was the freedom allowed to the people of Fukurodani. 

A bit of envy gnawed at him, but he shook it off. He might not have the same freedom as the citizens of Fukurodani, but he had been given a golden opportunity to taste it. Still, he needed to be careful and not draw any attention to himself. The last thing he needed was someone recognizing him as the prince of Karasuno’s personal servant and then the rumor would spread like wildfire. If such a thing would happen, it would be impossible to go back home with Daichi and being separated from him would be far worse than living a life with a few more spell books in his possession.

Kuroo wiped a tear away from his cheek that had slipped out while he was overwhelmed and drowning in his emotions. That moment had passed, however, and now he was focused, set on his new mission. He stepped back into the aisle and began searching every row, his eyes dancing over every fascinating title. It was a struggle choosing a place to start but as always, his instinct led him to the section on healing magic. 

He knew some basics, of course, little tidbits that Ukai had slipped him when no one else was around. There was no doubt in his mind that Ukai knew more healing spells than he revealed, knowing that before the ban, Ukai was a regular magic user and incorporated into his medicinal healings. He couldn’t imagine how hard it was for him to pull the two practices apart once it was forbidden, but it was the only way he could remain in Karasuno with his family and friends.

Kuroo’s eyes lit up when he found a text on diagnostics, a way to use magic to figure out what ailment a person was experiencing. He plucked it off the shelf and perused it slowly, soaking in the information and committing whatever he could to memory. Luckily, the elementary skills at the beginning of the book were easy to memorize, but his fingers still itched to write some of them down. 

When he was finished with the first book, he set it back on the shelf and located another of interest, healing specific to the types of wounds one would obtain in battle. His chest constricted as he slipped it out, staring at the leather cover for a moment before cracking it open. He’d witnessed Daichi fighting in all types of battles, from common ruffians to legendary dragons. Kuroo wished that he didn’t have to put himself in so much danger, but the more spells he armed himself with, the more reason Daichi would have to let him stay by his side through it all. 

“Hmm, it would be good to know more protection spells,” he murmured, tapping his lip. Pushing that thought aside for the moment, he tried focusing on the book in his hands until another book suddenly appeared in his face.

“Is this what you’re looking for?”

Kuroo’s eyes widened, easily seeing that the book was about defensive magic. “Yeah, that should work—” he started, taking the book and turning to the person next to him. His jaw dropped in dismay, coming face to face with a familiar set of clever eyes and a sly grin.

Konoha snickered as he flipped his blonde hair out of his eyes and leaned against the shelf. “I thought I’d find you here.”

“You-You did?”

His grin widened. “Yup. I met Akaashi out in the hall and since I had nothing better to do, he sent me here to check in on you, said you’d be in the Medical section. I knew that was probably not where we’d find you, but I didn’t correct him.”

Kuroo’s heart fluttered in panic. There wasn’t any conceivable lie he could say that would explain why he was in that section, reading a spellbook and saying out loud that he wanted a different one. Even more alarming was that Konoha already seemed to know the truth before he even found him there.

“How did you know? Wait, did you say we?”

“Yup!” a chipper voice said on the other side of him, startling Kuroo to nearly drop the books in his hand. A young woman grinned up at him, dressed similarly to Konoha in knight attire with her vibrant red hair pulled back in an intricate braid. She sighed and gently patted Kuroo’s shoulder. “Don’t worry, we’d never give you away. Konoha and I are the same as you and though we don’t live under that bastard king of yours, we know firsthand the hardships against those who practice magic. I’m Shirofuku Yukie, but you can just call me Yukie. Everyone does.”

Kuroo pressed the books to his chest and bowed slightly. “Ah, it’s a pleasure to meet you, Yukie-san. Truly, I don’t often get to speak with others like me, but _how_ did you know?”

Konoha huffed out a laugh. “Outside when I met your prince and tried to scare him. I hardly paid attention to your knights and their swords when I could hear you crackling with magical energy up on that carriage. I thought you were going to fry my skin off!”

“I had it under control.”

“I’m surprised you’re so protective over him. Are these spells for him?” Konoha asked, tapping his finger on the book he supplied him.

Kuroo’s cheeks warmed as he nodded. “Of course. He’s nothing like his father.”

Yukie’s face pinched with sympathy. “But how would he react if he knew about your magic?”

“He already does.” As he watched Yukie and Konoha’s eyes widen, Kuroo realized that he probably shouldn’t have said as much. “But it would be good for you to keep that a secret as well. Everything Daichi is doing now is to prepare himself for being king one day and undoing all the damage his father has caused. He can’t do that if the king sniffs out any kind of dissent. Who knows how he’d react or how he could hurt everyone even more than he already has?”

Konoha’s face softened as he reached out, grasping Kuroo’s shoulder. “Hey, take it easy. We won’t say anything, especially since we’d like nothing more than your prince to change things for the better once he’s king. Listen, I know you’ve got no reason to trust us, but Yukie and I will help you any way we can. So, what do you need?”

Kuroo stared at them both in turn. He had been so cautious about revealing his magical tendencies that he never even considered connecting with others like him. It was even more shocking that they’d be so open and willing to help him, but as mischievous as the pair seemed, he couldn’t sense any deception or ill-intent in their words or expressions.

“Well, since I can’t be seen with any of the spell books, it would be good if I can take notes. But I can’t just sit at one of the tables where anyone could walk by and see what I’m working on.”

“I’ll be right back!” chirped Yukie, and she rushed off in the other direction and disappeared around the corner. 

“So, what kind of magic can you do?” Konoha asked while Kuroo was still gawking at the place he’d last seen her. He shook his head and turned back to Konoha who was waiting patiently with his head cocked.

“Um, lots of kinds, whatever I can pick up. I can put people to sleep, erase memories, create fire that’ll only burn who I want. Oh,” he laughed, scratching his head. “That’s probably why Daichi wasn’t afraid of your little flame. I’ve literally set his entire body on fire to frighten away some thieves. Worked like a charm. I’m very adept at creating lightning and I know some barrier spells, enough to repel dragon fire, anyway, but I’d still like to know more.”

Konoha blinked at him, his mouth hanging slack. “A lot of those require a great amount of power. Did you have someone to teach you?”

“Mainly druids passing through our village to stay hidden. And I had a few spellbooks my father left behind before the king banished him.”

Konoha hummed, his eyes trailing over Kuroo appraisingly. He was still curious, Kuroo could see, but he was obviously impressed with him. It almost made him blush; he wasn’t used to having his magic so admired. 

Daichi was amazed by it, of course, but he also viewed his magic as something that could put Kuroo in danger and always wanted him to keep it subdued. It was one thing to share books and spells with Konoha and Yukie, but he wondered if there was somewhere safe they could go to actually experiment a little. The very thought made him quiver with anticipation but the sight of Yukie rushing back around the corner distracted him from asking.

In her arms, she carried three trays and stacked on top of them were a stack of sheets and some ink. The quills latched in her teeth couldn’t subdue her smile as she trotted up to them. Kuroo snickered and grabbed the quills first to allow her to speak.

“I think I got everything we need. Eventually, we might need cushions. It’s going to get hard sitting on this tiled floor.”

“I’ll go find some,” Konoha said, already starting down the aisle in the opposite direction Yukie went. “Go ahead and get started!”

“Here, sit down, Kuroo-kun. This is so much fun, sneaking around like this.”

Kuroo snorted and followed her lead, sitting on the floor with his back up against the shelf. He was immediately grateful that Konoha went in search of cushions; sitting like that was already unpleasant and he couldn’t imagine being like that for long. Yukie was settled next to him and immediately took one of the trays and popped out four legs from underneath that had been hidden from view. She set one over Kuroo’s lap, slapped a sheet down as well as a bottle of ink and a quill. 

“Okay, did you want to start on defensive spells, or would you like me to take notes on those? I know some that I find very useful, particularly in battle.”

“You’ve done magic in battle?”

She grinned wide. “Of course! I’m Bokuto’s personal battlemage and guardian.”

“Wow, I wouldn’t have thought. Oh! No offense, it’s just that you seem so happy and kind. I’d expect a battlemage to be colder, somehow.”

She laughed and waved him off. “Trust me, I can get serious when I need to. Just threaten Bokuto, Kaori, Akaashi, or any of our knights, and you’ll see just how scary I can get.”

Kuroo winced. “Don’t worry. I’d only like to see you like that only if we’re on the same side. Since you know so much about it, though, I trust you to write down the defensive spells you think are best.”

“Great!” 

Her entire demeanor changed in an instant, no longer smiling and congenial, and she hunkered down over her lap desk and picked up the book on defensive spells. Kuroo pursed his lips and picked up his own on healing magic. It was a struggle to hold back his tears all over again, this time because of the overwhelming camaraderie he felt from the other two. 

It was something he could only imagine in his wildest dreams, teaming up with other wizards, witches, warlocks, and mages who understand him better than most. His only taste of it had been with the druids but even then, they hardly stayed long enough for him to get close. It had been mere minutes since he’d met Yukie and Konoha, yet it already seemed like they’d known each other for years.

Konoha returned finally with some cushions and, to Kuroo’s surprise, Komi and Sarukui, whom he’d met at Karasuno during Bokuto’s visit. He looked questioningly at Konoha, but he just shrugged back as he handed him a pillow. Komi and Sarukui lounged across from them and got comfortable as if nothing were out of the ordinary.

Before sitting down, Konoha grabbed a book from further down, saying that he had a feeling it would be extremely useful for Kuroo. As he sat down, Kuroo peeked at the title and raised his eyebrows at it.

“Stealth spells?”

Konoha scoffed. “Naturally. These will help you avoid detection, particularly from a certain king of yours, but there are other fun things in here. Spells to eavesdrop, track people, track _spells_ and the person using them, and sound dampening spells for when you’re getting a little too noisy with your prince.”

Komi and Sarukui chortled, but Yukie shushed them immediately. “Shut up, you idiots. We’re doing secretive things and if we’re found out, it could be Kuroo’s life at stake.”

The pair looked sheepish as they mumbled their apologies. They did come in handy, however, whenever one of the notetakers was finished with a book and needed a different one, and they were only too happy to help. The atmosphere naturally became a productive one, yet it was surprisingly comfortable as the Fukurodani knights chatted around him. It didn’t surprise Kuroo at all when they were joined by two more knights, the stern-faced Washio and the innocent giant, Onaga. 

“Shouldn’t you all be guarding something?” he finally asked with a laugh.

Komi wrinkled his nose. “No, we’ve got nothing. Our commander pulled in every knight in the realm to guard the palace and the people within it, and now we’re just bored. Especially since Bokuto’s still with the other royals and probably will be for a while.”

Kuroo’s stomach gripped, suddenly remembering what would happen once they were finished. He caught Komi’s eye and found the knight’s expression softened and sympathetic.

“Are you worried about Prince Daichi’s matchmaking appointments?”

Suddenly all the writing stopped as the others glanced up to hear his answer. Kuroo leaned back against the rows of books and breathed in, filling his senses with the calm, musty smell. 

“Yeah, a little. I trust him implicitly, but I can’t help but wonder what the ladies he’s meeting will do. I know I’m just being paranoid—”

“Nah, you’re totally right,” Sarukui said, slipping an apple from somewhere inside his vest and taking a bite of it. “I saw the list of names Akaashi had compiled for him and let me tell you, some of them are _crazy_. A couple are just really clever and manipulative, but others are just nuts. I wouldn’t put it past one of them to try sneaking into the prince’s bed tonight. Ouch!” Sarukui yelped as Washio dropped a fist on his head at the same time Komi elbowed him in the ribs.

“You bastard, can’t you see he’s already worried?” Komi growled, but the damage had been done. Kuroo glanced down and eyed one of the books off to the side, wondering if there was a forcefield spell that he could place around Daichi’s bed that would shock them to death if they tried to step into it. 

“Wait,” Konoha whispered, grabbing everyone’s attention immediately. His lips curled slyly as he scratched his chin in thought. “Do you guys remember when that one noble visited just after Bokuto was crowned? Lady Ariyoshi?” 

Kuroo glanced around at the others as they all groaned. 

“She was horrible,” Komi explained to him, shaking his head. “Treated Bokuto like he owed her the kingdom for her support, even though she slandered him before. She was wickedly manipulative and loved to spread rumors about him to the other members of the court. Why would you bring her up?”

“Do you remember when we turned the tables on her?” As the others gasped, their eyes lighting up, Konoha turned to Kuroo to explain. “We decided to start some rumors of our own. Took a while to get the hang of it, but her fatal mistake was going to the nobles themselves. We went to the heart of the rumor mill: the servants. _That’s_ who the nobility really trusts with information, and soon Lady Ariyoshi couldn’t sway a single individual. She’s a hermit now on the outskirts of the kingdom because she couldn’t abide in a court that never heeded her advice.” 

Konoha pressed his hand against his forehead and swooned, inciting snickers around the group. Kuroo smiled, but he still felt a little lost.

“I don’t understand how that could help me, though.” Kuroo flinched as Konoha lips spread in a vile, toothy grin.

“Kuroo, wasn’t it _you_ who told us that the Prince of Karasuno had the smallest cock you’ve ever seen?” A round of snorts erupted from the others, but they quieted when they spotted someone at the end of the aisle. It was one of the library workers, a young woman who had just placed a book on the shelf. Her movements, however, seemed a little slow as if she was taking as much time as she could.

Yukie leaned in toward him, wrapping her arm around his shoulders. “Not only that, but he has to stuff his pants with socks, so it would look like he’s got _something_ to offer. No matter how many herbs and tonics he takes, the only change it ever brought him was an annoying rash.”

“Kuroo, is that true?” Sarukui asked, his eyes flickering to the woman who stood frozen with her hand on a book she’d already set on the shelf. 

With a broad grin, Kuroo turned to the others and shrugged. “Unfortunately, yes. I’m the one who has to bathe him, you know. It takes no time at all washing his cute little nubbin.”

Komi clapped his hand over his mouth and wheezed, but Sarukui guffawed louder than he should have considering he was in a library. Onaga’s face was beet-red and even Washio’s lips quirked up slightly at the edges. The young woman, on the other hand, forgot about the other books in her arms and rushed off, hopefully to spread the juicy gossip around the castle.

“Nicely done!” Konoha praised him, butting his side with his elbow. “By the way, is it that small?”

Kuroo snorted. “Are you kidding? I can never walk straight the next day.”

“Ha! See, I would have pegged you guys as the opposite.”

“It depends on our mood. Do you really think that little rumor will help though?”

Komi shook his head as he stood up, brushing his hands against each other. “Nope, but we’re only just getting started. Kuroo, with your permission, we would like to spread all sorts of embarrassing rumors about your prince. May we?”

Kuroo groaned. “He’s going to kill me.”

“Would he, though?” Yukie asked with an innocent grin. “If it gets him out of these meetings?”

“Listen, getting him out of those would be great, but I don’t want you spreading anything that could damage his reputation permanently, particularly with the other royals. Daichi has plans for when he’s the king that could bring peace between all the nations. I’d rather kill myself than hurt his chances to do it.”

Komi waved him off. “Don’t worry! We’ll only say things that will turn off the young ladies. We promise.”

Kuroo laughed softly and gestured toward him. “Then you all have my blessing and I wish you fortune, my noble knights.”

Sarukui stood and gave him a grotesque bow and together, the four knights scattered, leaving Kuroo alone with Konoha and Yukie once again. 

“You really think they can do it?”

Konoha barked out a laugh. “Trust me, we were made to cause trouble. Now come on, let’s get back to business.”

“Wait, I have an idea,” Yukie whispered.

Kuroo cocked an eyebrow at her. “You lot are just full of ideas.”

“I told you, it’s been so long since we’ve been able to sneak around. Kuroo, you have your own quarters, right? You’re the only servant from Karasuno?”

“Yeah, it’s just me, Daichi, and his two knights and they have their own quarters.”

“Perfect! Why don’t we gather up some of these books and sneak them into your room? While the prince and his knights are out all day, we can practice some of these in secret!”

Kuroo perked up at the thought but when he considered it, he bit his lip. “I can’t let anyone see me with these though.”

“Leave that to us! You handle all the notes we’ve taken, and Konoha and I will speak to the master about borrowing a few of these books. Meet us out in the hallway in a few minutes, okay?”

Beside him, Konoha was already getting up and closing the makeshift desk. Yukie smiled reassuringly and nudged him. Kuroo beamed back at her and nodded as he quickly gathered up his notes. He had several knights of Fukurodani attempting to stop Daichi’s matchmaking meetings from happening and he had two more willing to help him with magic. What started out as a nerve-wracking day was turning out to be better than he could have imagined.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you to everyone who's left me sweet comments on this fic so far. Even if they're simple, just a "I'm reading this and I love it" means the world to me. This whole series is so long that, even though I have so much story left to tell for it and I love the whole series to death, sometimes it's hard working on it if I don't know if anyone's reading it or waiting on it. An encouraging comment like that definitely fuels my writing (*•̀ᴗ•́*)و ̑̑


	4. Chapter 4

“We’re nearly there,” Bokuto informed him, his bright eyes glittering with mischief.

Daichi narrowed his eyes at him. “Why do you look like you’re planning something? Should I be worried?”

“No way! You should be just as excited as I am, and I don’t have to plan anything for it to happen. I just hope nothing’s happened yet.”

“What are you talking about?”

Bokuto slowed his pace and leaned in closer to Daichi. “So, Ushijima and Oikawa have this really weird thing between them.”

“What kind of _thing_?”

“I have no clue. Oikawa is pleasant and friendly to me, I’ve always gotten along with him which is probably why they sent him to attend the wedding instead of his older sister, the Queen of Aoba Johsai. Whenever I bring up Ushijima, however, he just tenses up and looks like he’s eaten something rotten. He refuses to say why he can’t stand him though. Bit of a touchy subject.”

Daichi hummed. All of that was news to him but was extremely important since he’s rarely had any interaction with the royal family of either kingdom. Besides attending Bokuto’s wedding, that was his main purpose in being there and he hoped to make a good impression on the other two.

“What about Ushijima? Does he say anything about Oikawa?”

“Uhhh,” Bokuto said, glancing up at the ceiling as he thought about it, raking his fingers through his hair. “He doesn’t say much about Oikawa at all. If I bring him up, he just kind of grunts in acknowledgment. But he really doesn’t say much other than grunts anyway.” Bokuto froze suddenly, his eyes growing impossibly large. “Oh no… do you think Ushijima speaks a different language? Maybe this whole time I’ve been talking to him and he hasn’t understood me!”

Daichi stifled his snort into his hand and shook his head. “I’m sure you would have figured that out by now. If not you, Akaashi would have known.”

Bokuto relaxed immediately, patting Daichi hard on the back. “You’re right, that was silly of me. Well, back to the subject, I’m just excited to see them in the same room together. It should be fun!”

Daichi pressed his lips tight as Bokuto wrapped his arm back around him and plowed forward. If there was a difficult past between Oikawa and Ushijima, it might make it difficult to get along with both and establishing any peace contracts between them in the future.

_ Easy… there’s plenty of time for that yet _ , he told himself. His father wasn’t young, but he was extremely healthy with a sharp mind. Daichi couldn’t imagine that he would be taking the throne anytime soon. His job at the moment was to make connections and plant seeds, not make official alliances.

He didn’t need Bokuto to tell him which room they were heading to as they turned down the next hallway. Outside one door were three separate groups of guards, all of them wearing drastically different attire. A few were obviously from Fukurodani, all of whom Daichi recognized from their previous visit and stood opposite the door, watching the other two groups warily. 

On the left side of the door were knights of Aoba Johsai, dressed in immaculate silvery armor with their aqua capes draped over their shoulders. Daichi noticed immediately that while two had swords at their hips, the tallest of the group had an elegant white staff strapped to his back with a crystal nestled at the top. They appeared relaxed as they leaned against the wall, but Daichi could see their eyes constantly shifting to the group on the other side of the door.

There was no doubt that those knights were of Shiratorizawa, even if Daichi had never interacted with them before. While they stood frozen along the wall, purely focused on their duty, power seemed to emanate from them. They didn’t wear any metal armor but instead seemed to prefer leathers strapped over their dark clothing. 

Only one differed in his attire, a man with wavy silver hair with darker tips. His clothing, while it was the same color as the other guards, seemed to be of a lighter material and revealed most of his chest, revealing many intricate tattoos. Glancing at the mahogany staff on his back, Daichi hoped that Kuroo would get a chance to look at the man, certain that he would be curious about his tattoos and if they held a purpose beyond decoration. Before walking past him, Daichi noticed one more thing that set him apart from the mage from Aoba Johsai; this one had two short swords belted at his hips.

Bokuto glanced over his shoulder at Suga and Asahi. “You two can join the ranks if you’d like!” He turned back to all the other guards and laughed. “And you all can relax. My wedding is tomorrow, so there won’t be any killing just yet.” He laughed even harder, but the only ones who joined in were his own knights save Washio. The other two groups seemed even stiffer than before. 

Without waiting for anyone to announce him, Bokuto charged forward and burst into the room. The first thing Daichi noticed as he trailed in behind him were several stringed instruments hitting sharp notes out of surprise from Bokuto’s entrance. They recovered beautifully, most likely used to their king’s antics by now. 

Daichi spotted the musicians as he stepped further in, all of them seated on a stage at the far end of the elegant room with various sized instruments. There were several chairs surrounding them, meant for an audience, but all of them were unoccupied. There was a round table in the center of the room with cards stacked in the middle, but no one sat there either. In fact, the only other people in the room were standing on opposite sides of it, facing away from each other though both turned at their entrance.

The two men couldn’t appear more different, though both seemed powerful in their own way and, as much as he hated to admit it, far taller than Daichi was. With Bokuto by his side, he felt a slight spike of irritation and held himself as high as he could, puffing out his chest for effect. As Bokuto waved them both closer, Daichi felt both their gazes land on him in particular, making him feel like a worm being eyed up by two separate birds of prey.

“Come on, you two! This is my party and I’d like everyone to get along. Daichi, this is the King Ushijima of Shiratorizawa,” Bokuto said, gesturing to the intimidating man on the right. Ushijima stepped forward, his dark attire and the furs around his shoulders making him seem even larger and gloomy. His olive-green eyes stared through Daichi’s soul, his sharp jaw set, but he inclined his head politely toward Daichi to which he promptly bowed in return.

“And this is Prince Oikawa, from Aoba Johsai.”

Daichi turned to the man on his left, struck again by how different he was yet appearing no less intimidating. Oikawa seemed to be the epitome of a delicate flower with hidden thorns. Every graceful movement of his enhanced his natural beauty, and the aqua silks he wore moved like water over his athletic body. 

His eyes were what struck Daichi the most. They were a warm dark brown, an honest color that would probably melt anyone if they revealed a hint of affection. Toward Daichi, however, they appeared as cold and sharp as icicles as he looked him over.

Despite his expression, Oikawa bowed politely and Daichi mirrored the action. Bokuto laughed and smacked Daichi on the back again. As much as it stung, his voice seemed to break through the attention and relax everyone present. Even the musicians seemed to put more life into their playing.

“As I’m sure you’ve both guessed, this is Prince Daichi of Karasuno. I’m so glad we could all get together like this. Have a seat! Let’s play some cards or something.” 

Bokuto raced toward the round table and took a seat, snatching up the cards and shuffling them in his hand. For a moment, Daichi stood awkwardly with the other two until they all sighed and followed Bokuto’s example. Oikawa and Ushijima both took the seats beside Bokuto, opposite each other, leaving Daichi to the last seat and the furthest from Bokuto. He wished he was seated closer to the only one he was comfortable with, but at least he could talk to him across the table. Besides, he had a feeling the other two felt the same as he did. 

“Hey, Ushijima! When are you going to hold another tourney?” Bokuto asked as he dealt the cards. “I wasn’t able to make the last one and I’d love to compete against some of your soldiers.”

Ushijima’s expression didn’t change at all as he considered Bokuto’s question and picked up the few cards given to him. “I have been thinking about holding one in the next year or so. Are you sure you’ll be prepared to face any of my men? It wouldn’t be good morale for Fukurodani to watch their king lose.”

Daichi heard Oikawa click his tongue lightly as he kept his eyes on his cards, but Bokuto slapped the table and laughed. “My people aren’t obsessed with strength like yours and wouldn’t get unsettled by watching me lose, especially to such an opponent. Still, I’m confident in my chances and think of how excited they’d be if I won!”

“Hmm, I suppose you are correct. I could never presume to know the varying moods of your people when they are so different from my own.”

“What about you, Daichi? Have you ever fought in a tourney?”

Daichi smiled back at him, feeling his mood lift under Bokuto’s friendly gaze. “I have but just a local one.”

“How’d you do?”

“Not bad but it was one of my knights who took the top prize that day. When Asahi is focused, there’s no beating him.”

Bokuto nodded assertively. “I remember what a force he can be when I sparred with him last time. I’d love to fight him again, and Tsukki too. He’s excellent at defensive strategies, something I’m sure he’s picked up from you.”

“Yes, he’s picked them up from me and carried them much further. If he grows in passion and skill, I think he’d be quite an expert within a year or two.”

Ushijima hummed. “I am curious about your skills, Sawamura, as well as the skills of your knights. If I held another tourney, would you be interested in participating with your men?”

“Yes!” Daichi said immediately, his heart racing at the prospect. “It’s always good to have the chance to fight against someone new, especially warriors as renowned as the knights of Shiratorizawa.”

Ushijima nodded and looked back at his cards, setting one of them in the middle of the table. His expression still hadn’t changed yet Daichi had the sense that he was pleased with his compliment. Perhaps the tension between his eyebrows had eased slightly. Bokuto seemed to get along with the king well enough, but it was difficult to imagine anyone not getting along with Bokuto. Daichi knew it might be more difficult for him, but he felt like he was off to a great start.

“What about you, Oikawa?” Bokuto asked, addressing the silent man on Daichi’s left. 

Oikawa wrinkled his nose. “No, thank you. Not interested in the slightest.”

“Oh, you don’t like tourneys?”

“Not particularly. I find them rather boring.”

At that, Ushijima’s expression finally changed, his eyebrows rising and lips parting in surprise. “Since when do you find them boring, Oikawa? You always seemed to take them seriously.”

Oikawa’s body tensed, but his displeasure didn’t show on his face as he shrugged. “We all have to grow up sometime, Ushiwaka. How could I be interested in battling against anyone who can’t even win an easy round of cards?” He scoffed as he laid his final card down, showing that he’d won the hand. His smile was smug as he glanced at all their disappointed faces, though Ushijima’s had reverted back to its original state.

As Oikawa swept the cards toward him to deal them out again, Daichi gathered his courage to speak to him. “Do you at least enjoy sword fighting, Oikawa? Or do your interests lie elsewhere?”

“Like in magic?” 

Oikawa’s retort was sharper than any knife and for a moment, made everyone in the room pause. He held the cards in his hands mid-shuffle, and those brown eyes of his held Daichi by the throat. It was as if he could hear Daichi’s heart beating faster, a snake tightening its grip around its prey until it suffocated. 

Luckily, the attack wasn’t unexpected. Before leaving for Fukurodani, Daichi had spent several evenings with Takeda, discussing many scenarios and how to conduct himself. Takeda was the greatest mentor Daichi ever had and his feelings about how the kingdom should be handled aligned with Daichi’s. If he wanted to succeed in bringing peace to his own people and with other kingdoms, every interaction he had over the next two days would need to be delicately handled, with diplomacy and strength.

Daichi lifted his chin, held Oikawa’s gaze, and smiled. “Possibly. There is a lot that I don’t know about the culture in Aoba Johsai and I look forward to learning more. Is magic your only pursuit?”

Oikawa’s eyes narrowed slightly, and he slowly leaned back in his chair, resting the cards on the table. “I would expect you to understand this, being a prince, but it is necessary for me to be skilled in many ways. Despite not enjoying the little tourneys held by Shiratorizawa, I do love swordplay as much as I enjoy wielding magic. What do you think of that?”

Daichi nodded appreciatively. “I think that is excellent. A person who has many different interests finds it easier to make connections and forge understandings with others. It’s the mark of a good leader, so it would be foolish to disregard your efforts, don’t you think?”

At last, Oikawa’s cold stare fractured as he blinked in surprise. Before he could respond, Bokuto laughed and clapped him on the shoulder.

“I told you he was different from what you expected!”

Oikawa frowned, his thumb idly flipping the corners of the cards. “Perhaps, but that doesn’t change anything. He’s still the son of a murderer.”

Unlike before, those words did cut Daichi. It was a serious accusation and not one that he expected to hear. He wasn’t the only one unaffected either, Bokuto’s face hardening as he looked down at the table. Whether he was offended for Daichi’s sake or agreed with Oikawa, he really couldn’t tell. It was Ushijima, however, who was the first to clear his throat.

“Whether or not that’s true, this would not be the place to say such things, Oikawa.”

“I don’t want to be lectured by _you_ of all people, Ushiwaka. Whatever skills you boast of, social skills aren’t one of them.”

“It was harsh, though, Oikawa,” Bokuto said curtly, motioning to one of the servants across the room. “For someone who prides himself on being so charming, I expected better of you at my wedding. Hi, can we have some wine? My friends need to _relax_.”

The servant bowed and quickly sped off to the side of the room to pour several glasses of wine. At receiving Bokuto’s censure, Oikawa finally appeared ashamed of his words, a slight blush forming on his cheeks. He sighed, slipping his fingers through his hair and turning back to Daichi.

“Forgive me, Prince Sawamura. There are obviously reasons why our people choose to have little interaction with yours and now that you’re right in front of me, it’s difficult keeping my feelings in check. Bokkun's right though, I should know better.”

Daichi glanced up at the servant as they approached, plucking a goblet of wine from their tray. “Thank you,” he said gently to the servant before turning back toward Oikawa. “I do forgive you for your words, Prince Oikawa, but on one condition.”

“And what would that be?” Oikawa asked, cocking an eyebrow. 

“That you would have an honest conversation with me. No cold words with hidden meanings, either. I want you to understand that I am not my father and I’d like to know how he has personally wronged you since it is obvious that he has.”

Oikawa’s eyebrows knitted together as he gazed down in his goblet, swirling the wine within it. “Yes, I’ll talk with you. Do not expect me to hold back the truth to spare your feelings, but I will give you the respect you deserve, at least.”

“I would not wish for you to spare my feelings to sacrifice the truth.” Daichi turned to Bokuto and gave him an apologetic smile. “I’m sorry for darkening the mood. You both might not find it interesting listening to us talk.”

Bokuto beamed back at him and waved it off. “Don't worry about it. Come on, Ushijima! I wanted to show you something over here,” he said, standing and walking over to the windows at the far edge of the room, followed by a silent Ushijima. “I have some big plans for that area off to the West once Kaori and I are settled down. I was thinking of building some…”

“So,” Oikawa started, shifting his chair to face Daichi directly, “was there something specific you wanted to discuss?”

“If you are uncomfortable with certain subjects, I’ll understand, but you are angry with me and it might be good for both of us if you just spit it out.”

Oikawa exhaled long and slow before taking a sip of his wine. “To tell you the truth, I don’t practice magic very frequently. As you said, a prince has to have many skills and I’ve often found myself pulled in many directions. Despite not having a focus in magic, most of my education was performed by our court mage, Irihata Nobuteru.

“Not only did he teach me everything I know, but he also loved me as much as his own son, Ginji. Irihata’s wife died when Ginji was young, so he was his only son and even though he was much older than I was, he liked to treat me as his little brother. Irihata was kind and wise, and Ginji was a spirit of joy. _He_ was one of the most gifted wizards I’d ever seen but he never seemed full of himself. He was one of the best people I’ve ever known.”

Oikawa paused in his story, his lips pressing tight. Daichi felt his stomach clench, knowing exactly where the story was headed. It had actually been many years since his father had executed a person for using magic, whether they had left the kingdom altogether or were better at hiding, he wasn’t sure. But as far as Daichi knew, most of the victims of his father’s hatred were citizens of Karasuno.

With a deep breath, Oikawa continued the story with a vague gesture of his hand. “I’m sure you can guess what happened. It was a long time ago, probably fifteen years now, but Ginji wanted to explore the world a bit and interact with the different magical communities. He left with some friends to journey toward Fukurodani but without telling his father, he convinced his friends to take a slight detour past the border of Karasuno. He wanted to find the druids that roam the forests, hoping to learn something from them. According to his friends that escaped back to Aoba Johsai, they never found them. 

“The king’s knights found them first and while it’s not illegal on either side to travel from Aoba Johsai into Karasuno, I’m sure that to _them,_ people from my kingdom are naturally suspicious of performing magic. While Ginji and his friends did not perform any magic within the boundaries of Karasuno, the knights inspected their caravan and found it full of spell books, potions, and other items of magical origin. The knights arrested Ginji and his friends but two fought back with magic, escaping with their lives. 

“The ones who were caught were taken to your capital where your beloved father and king judged them with hardly a trial and listened to none of their pleas. He executed each of them in your town square in front of hundreds of people as if they were some spectacle. Ginji was intelligent and beyond talented; he had the ability to fight back but didn’t because he wanted to prove to your _king_ that not every person of magic was evil. What gets me more than anything is that his act of selflessness probably didn’t have any effect on your king at all.”

Oikawa’s breath shuddered as he looked away, lifting the wine to his lips to take a sip. Daichi had no doubt he was telling the truth. Although Oikawa seemed to be a person capable of swaying and cutting down anyone with just a few words, there was genuine sorrow pouring from his story. Not only that, but Daichi had a vague feeling that he remembered Irihata Ginji himself.

He was young, but his father insisted that he attend all the executions. It was necessary, his father told him, to bear the responsibility of justice in the land. At that time, he had no reason to doubt his father and believed that whoever his father killed had truly deserved it. But when Ginji was led into the town square, Daichi stared down at him over the stone wall with pure confusion. 

He had the air of a noble and his clothes, though a little dirty from sleeping in the dungeons, were very fine. Unlike others who were executed for using magic, he didn’t sneer or shout at his father. He stared up at him with pity. 

It was that moment that planted a seed in Daichi’s mind that perhaps wizards and witches weren’t all evil like his father taught him. Naturally, it took many years for him to be thoroughly convinced that his father was wrong about the whole thing, mostly due to Kuroo’s influence and example. If Daichi could discover the source of his father’s discrimination, perhaps he could help his father overcome his narrowmindedness and change the laws before he even took the throne. But that was an undertaking that would take time and subtlety so his plans wouldn’t backfire and make his father even more resentful toward magic users. Until then, he would do what he could to heal wounds and protect innocent people, whether they were from Karasuno or not.

“I know this will probably mean nothing to you, but I am sorry,” Daichi said cautiously, gauging Oikawa’s reaction with every word. “I do not agree with or condone the atrocities my father has committed, and I would do anything to make up for them.”

Oikawa huffed out a laugh as he tapped his finger against the goblet. “Are you telling me that if you came across a person performing magic, you wouldn’t drag them straight home to your father to be killed?”

“I have never done that… and I never will.”

Oikawa’s eyes were large and observant as he looked Daichi over. “Are you saying that because you’ve never met a person who practices magic?”

It was dangerous admitting the truth, knowing that the information could be used against him or shared with his father. But Daichi felt the importance of the moment, the imperative need to be honest with a person like Oikawa. He looked him straight in the eye and shook his head.

“I know a few people who practice magic who live in Karasuno and I have kept their identity a secret from my father. They are all peaceful people who use magic mainly to the benefit of others. If any of them were discovered and brought before my father, I would raise hell to protect them from him.”

Oikawa’s lips parted in shock. “You are actually admitting to me, a complete stranger, that you disobey your father and king? How could you trust me so much?”

“Call it an act of faith. If you were to betray my confidence and let it slip about what I am doing, you would be putting the people under my protection in danger. Considering the sharp words you’ve given me already in our short acquaintance, I would assume you were a righteous person who would do anything for the freedom and protection of magic users. Or was that for show?”

To Daichi’s surprise, Oikawa smiled at him. It wasn’t the most pure-hearted smile he’d seen, but it wasn’t mean-spirited either. He wasn’t entirely sure, but Oikawa seemed a little impressed.

“Bokkun was right when he said I shouldn’t underestimate you. Since he likes everyone he meets, I thought for sure he was exaggerating. Your secret is safe with me, Sawamura-kun. I would support any plot to keep your father from discovering anyone using magic no matter what kingdom they reside in. I am still shocked that you would admit it to me.”

“It will take time, but I intend to change things for the better. The more respect my father has for me, the easier it will be to convince him to change the laws. As I’m sure you’re aware, it’s not easy to convince a king that he’s made a mistake.”

Oikawa snorted. “My father would have thrown me in the stocks for suggesting such a thing. Luckily, the old bastard’s gone now, and my sister has taken his place.”

“I hear that your sister is an excellent ruler.”

“She is,” Oikawa agreed, his smile widening as his chest began to puff out. “She will go down as one of the greatest rulers Aoba Johsai has ever had and my nephew Takeru is already following in her footsteps.”

Daichi smiled, relieved that the conversation was easing into a more comfortable subject matter. Not only that, but he was wildly curious about Aoba Johsai itself. 

“You seem extremely proud of both of them. Do you not wish that you could have ruled?”

Oikawa barked out a laugh. “No, thank you. I lead a squad of knights and have many duties already that my sister has bestowed on me. One can still be a good leader without running the whole damn kingdom. She and Takeru are welcome to it and I will do everything in my power to be the best support to them.”

“I would like to ask something, but I don’t want you to think I’m impertinent. This might sound obvious, but I have no idea what it is like to live in a kingdom where not only is magic practiced, but it is revered. Do the Queen and other members of the royal family use magic themselves? I know you said you use it a little.”

“Hmm, they do use it sparingly, but magic is actually superfluous to the skills required to rule a kingdom. It’s through their wisdom, patience, intelligence, and compassion that they need to successfully rule, and that is what their education is focused on, although my father did not put any importance on the patience and compassion aspect. That was an addition my sister added after his death. As far as magic goes, they are taught self-protection spells in case they are in a battle and become separated from their knights.”

Daichi nodded, relieved that that was the extent of their practice. A king or a queen is already granted the highest power within a kingdom. To wield magic as well would skew the balance of power even more and could easily produce a tyrant. More than ever, he hoped that one day he could establish an alliance with Aoba Johsai if their Queen was so wise.

Questions began filling his mind, wondering how Aoba Johsai governed magic users and if they punished those who abused it. Did they have schools to each or did youth seek out older wizards and witches to take them under their wing? Oikawa seemed more relaxed than ever as he waited for Daichi to speak and he wanted to take full advantage of the moment.

There was a light cough behind him and Daichi turned in his seat to see who it was. Akaashi stood at the open doors with an apologetic smile on his face.

“I am so sorry to interrupt your time getting acquainted, but it is time for your fitting, Bokuto-san.”

Bokuto stared back at him from the window, his expression utterly dismayed. “Akhaaassshhi! We’ve barely had any fun at all! Besides, I had a fitting yesterday.”

“And you will have another in the morning before the ceremony. You are the king and it is your wedding, one of the most important events this kingdom has seen in a long time save your own coronation. Can you imagine the scandal if one of your buttons popped after a night of drinking too much?”

Bokuto groaned and dragged his feet toward him, followed by Ushijima who seemed as stoic and unbothered as usual. Daichi stood up from the table and Oikawa joined him, snickering at Bokuto’s dejection.

“Don’t worry, Bokkun! We’ll laugh and drink together tomorrow at the banquet.”

That perked Bokuto up immediately and he beamed back at Oikawa. “You’re right! I challenge each of you to a separate drinking contest, so you better be ready. Are you coming, Akaashi?” 

“No, you can find the way on your own. I, um, need to speak to Prince Daichi.”

“Okay! Good luck with the ladies, Daichi!” Bokuto shouted over his shoulder, sending him a wink before disappearing out the door. 

Daichi’s heart sank as he met Akaashi’s gaze. “Is it time for my first appointment already?”

“It is, however… I do not know how to say this, but the lady you were to meet first has canceled unexpectedly.”

“Really?” Daichi gasped, his spirits lifting instantly.

Oikawa laughed and nudged him with his elbow. “You are an honest one, aren’t you? What’s wrong with meeting some lovely ladies?”

Daichi cocked an eyebrow at him. “Is your sister heavily influencing you to marry? Particularly a certain kind of person that wouldn’t be _your_ choice in a spouse?”

“Hmm, fair point.”

“Your appointment,” Akaashi continued, “was intended to be a luncheon and it is already set up for you. Would you like to have it regardless that the young lady will not be meeting you?”

Daichi could almost feel a rumble beginning in his stomach and he quickly smiled in appreciation. “I would like that, thank you, Akaashi. Actually… it is enough food for at least two people, correct?”

“I would say there’s enough food for five people.”

“Then,” he paused, turning to Ushijima, “would you like to join me for a meal, your Majesty? We haven’t had a chance to get to know each other yet.”

Ushijima nodded. “Yes, I think that would be an excellent idea. Would that be alright, Akaashi?”

“As long as you don’t mind the romantic ambiance of the garden where the luncheon will take place.”

Daichi gave him a withering look. “Did you have to go through the trouble? You know I have little interest in the matter.”

“I hope you will forgive me. It was arranged with your steward that I set these appointments and, although it is against your wishes, I cannot purposely fail my duties. I take intense pride in my position.”

Daichi held up his hands. “I get it, Akaashi, and I appreciate your hard work. Oikawa, did you also want to join—”

“Not in your life, Sawamura-kun!” Oikawa sang as he brushed past them. “As enlightening as our talk was, I could not suffer whatever kind of conversation you would cultivate with Ushiwaka. I will see you both at the ceremony and banquet since I have no choice in that matter.”

Without looking back, Oikawa swept out of the room and headed down the hall, his knights following closely behind. Daichi grimaced and turned to Ushijima. 

“I heard that Oikawa was an extremely pleasant person, a genius of social interaction and diplomacy. But isn’t he a little rude?”

Ushijima’s eyebrows pushed together. “I am afraid I am partially to blame for that, though I’m sure your parentage wasn’t helpful either. Oikawa and I are not on close terms. As far as his interpersonal skills, I believe they are unmatched.”

“That’s quite a compliment coming from you.”

“He was correct that our kingdom reveres strength and power above everything, which is why I am the ideal person to rule it. Oikawa’s skills are different but no less admirable. I have seen his men downhearted or nervous and with just a few words from Oikawa, all the negativity holding them back disappears and they become the very essence of confidence. Hopefully, you will observe that side of him as well.”

“I hope I get the chance as well. I prefer to know all sides to a person before I form a solid opinion of their character.” 

Ushijima grunted in response. It was a bit vague but Daichi had the impression that he agreed with the sentiment. Turning back to Akaashi, he gave him a nod, indicating that he was ready to leave. He was famished after the morning he’d had and hopefully with some food between them, his conversation with Ushijima would go much smoother than his talk with Oikawa.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I originally intended for Daichi's interactions with Oikawa and Ushijima to be in one chapter, but as usual, I'm long-winded and I had to split them up, ha ha ha. But the next chapter's almost entirely written so you won't have to wait long for it!! (｡•̀ᴗ-)✧


	5. Chapter 5

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Daichi's ~~romantic~~ date with Ushijima (*≧∀≦*)

Akaashi led them through the castle courtyard and Daichi was awestruck by the gorgeous foliage decorating the area. There were other nobles wandering idly through it, speaking in hushed tones as if saying it louder would injure the delicate blossoms surrounding them. Akaashi took them toward the center of it, walking between two tall bushes that guarded the entrance to a round clearing. 

It was surrounded by the most beautiful cherry blossom trees that Daichi had ever seen. The branches draped around the area, most of the flowers bloomed though some remained closed in their tender buds. Wherever there was a gap in the branches, there were thick bushes shaped artfully so that there was no way to see beyond the clearing or vice versa. It was the perfect place to have a romantic rendezvous hidden from prying eyes.

It was strange but Daichi was extremely grateful he was about to eat with Ushijima and not a young lady. Akaashi gave him another apologetic bow as he gestured for them to sit at the iron-wrought table in the center.

“Please get comfortable. The servants will attend to your every need. Unfortunately, I have to be going but I will have someone come for you, Daichi-san, when it is time for your next appointment.”

Daichi winced but forced a smile on his face. “Thank you, Akaashi. I appreciate all your hard work.”

“It is my pleasure,” he said politely and slipped away, leaving him alone with Ushijima since their knights guarded the clearing from the outside. 

Daichi turned to the man across from him to start the conversation, but he found Ushijima’s gaze elsewhere. To his surprise, his face was softer than usual as he looked around the clearing with a whisper of a smile on his lips. To Daichi, he looked a little strange amongst the blossoms in his dark clothing and fur embellishments, yet he felt that if Ushijima were in different attire, he’d seem quite at home amongst the trees.

“Do you like the cherry blossoms, your Majesty?”

“Very much. I am fortunate that due to the higher elevation in Shiratorizawa, I will not miss our own cherry blossoms due to our travel. We are not so used to being pent up indoors.”

“So, you prefer nature.”

Ushijima hummed as he finally met Daichi’s gaze. “We revere nature and treat it with respect. The power of humanity is nothing to that of natural elements.”

“I never thought of it that way. I know that Shiratorizawa has the largest amount of land among our kingdoms yet not as high a population. Is that because your villages are so spread out?”

“Yes, and while our villages are respectful of each other, they do not mix very often. Families are extremely tightly knit and tend to rely on themselves. Our youth do tend to branch out once they come of age, many of them becoming warriors set on defending the land. 

“The downside to that is that we have fewer marriages and fewer children being born. We also tend to give off a cold and intimidating aura to outsiders, which hasn’t helped my attempts at establishing alliances with other kingdoms. It is my hope to bring some healthy changes to our kingdom without damaging our solid values.”

Daichi was thrilled to be finding out so much about Shiratorizawa and Ushijima’s future plans. But just as he was about to question him further, the servants poured in with dishes of hot food, the aroma making Daichi’s mouth water. The servants were swift at setting everything up for them and pouring out some wine. It seemed that just as quickly as they came in, they swept out of the clearing to allow them to eat.

For a while, the only thing that either of them could focus on was the food in front of them. Daichi was more thankful than ever that his company was Ushijima who seemed set on enjoying the food in companionable silence. Daichi couldn’t fathom paying attention to conversation when he was so hungry and with such delicious food in front of him. 

Still, once he’d had enough food to satisfy most of his appetite, Daichi dabbed at his lips with a napkin and turned back to Ushijima, anxious to continue their conversation.

“I think you have some very worthy goals, some that I share. I can imagine Bokuto being interested in an alliance with Shiratorizawa. Have you spoken to him about it?”

“Yes, it is a discussion we are having. The difficulty is settling on how we could benefit each other, apart from simply abstaining from war. We have a great amount of livestock to offer and our craftsmanship is second to none. If nothing else, it may come down to establishing stronger trade routes, but we will see. It is far more difficult with Aoba Johsai, despite our regions being closest to each other.”

“That is something I wanted to ask about, and I hope you won’t think me impertinent.”

Ushijima’s eyes met Daichi’s as he raised his head. “I would prefer honesty to anything else.”

“Thank you, and please let me know if I overstep my bounds, but I couldn’t help but notice how tense things were between you and Oikawa. Did something happen between you?”

Ushijima frowned as he stared down at the table. “Oikawa and I have never been on good terms and, unfortunately, I cannot tell you the reason why. It used to be that the court of Aoba Johsai would always attend our tourneys, and we hold events for warriors of all ages. I met Oikawa when I was very young, and we would compete against each other. 

“Such events always cultivated healthy rivalries and created friendships that extended past the boundaries of kingdoms, but that is not what happened with us. I always respected him, and I wasn’t shy about giving him honest compliments and advice, but he was never friendly with me in return. I can only assume it’s one of those situations where two people simply cannot mix, despite there being respect between them.”

Daichi winced. _Not sure there’s much respect on Oikawa’s side._

“I see… perhaps it will remain a mystery. Thank you for answering my question and telling me about your kingdom. I’m very ignorant of Shiratorizawa and I would very much like to change that. Can I ask your opinion about magic and what place it has in your society?”

“Of course. Magic has hardly any place in our society at all.”

Daichi’s eyes widened. “I did not know that, but it is not outlawed?”

Ushijima hummed and picked up his goblet. He took his time sipping it and Daichi leaned back in his chair, not wanting to rush him. 

“We have no laws against it, but it is not something we revere as Fukurodani and Aoba Johsai do. Our power is in our personal strength and vitality. We view magic as a handicap, something one relies on when they’re weak. There is nothing that you can do with magic that you cannot do yourself with the proper education and perseverance.”

“Oh… but I thought I noticed that one of your guards had a staff.”

“Semi is a mage, but he is just as capable with his swords as he is with magic. We do have an academy of sorts where our youth can learn magic if they wish, and mostly they are taught how to use magic to repel magic. If someone were to use magic against me, Semi would be able to counteract it and subdue the person since there is no other way to combat magic specifically.”

Daichi’s heart quickened at the idea and put it into his mind to mention it to Kuroo later. He had nothing against magic personally, especially with seeing what good it could do. But he’d also witnessed the harm it could do when used with ill-intent.

“That’s a very interesting perspective,” he replied, hoping Ushijima would go into it more. 

Ushijima’s eyes crinkled at the edges as if he were smiling, but his lips did not move. “I am not surprised that you understand our perspective, despite not sharing your father’s view that magic is evil and should be punished.”

“I identify with it a lot. I take great pride in the physical training I have endured and in the strength of my men. As far as magic is concerned, I have seen it being used in very evil ways and in very pure ones as well. I think our situation with the dragons is the greatest example of that.”

Daichi flinched when Ushijima leaned forward suddenly, emanating a passionate interest. 

“I am glad you brought that up, Sawamura. If you do not mind, I would like to know the details of that event. All I have heard are rumors.”

“Of course. I have nothing to hide about it.” 

_Except Tetsu’s part in it, naturally._

Daichi went into a detailed description of the events, how their villagers came to the castle homeless, informing them of the dragon attacks. He skimmed over the part where they consulted Nekomata since he was certain his father was keeping that secret and stated that his servant was sent to find the dragon lord, also omitting the fact that it was Kuroo’s father. 

Ushijima seemed to perk up at the mention of Honda-san, but he did not interrupt Daichi’s story. He listened intently as Daichi described him leading his knights into battle against the dragons and how they were able to injure them but could not stop them from heading closer to the castle. Daichi shivered, remembering the terror he felt in facing such giant beasts that spewed fire from their mouths, but Ushijima’s hums and nods were encouraging, approving of Daichi’s methods without saying anything.

It was the end of the tale that was the most poignant for Daichi. He told Ushijima how the wizard shielded the soldiers from the dragon fire, not mentioning that it was Kuroo specifically who did it, and how it would have incinerated him and hundreds of his men had he not wielded it. Then he went on about how Honda-san was able to call the dragons to him finally and broke the spell over them. At that, Ushijima straightened in his seat.

“I thought there was something suspicious about the rumors. I could not believe that dragons would attack like that since they typically hunt only to eat. Naturally, there were some instances in the past where some dragons did kill in revenge, but that means nothing now that their numbers are so few. Their only desire is to raise their families in peace. That was a truly evil spell, forcing them into a fight that wasn’t their own. I am very thankful that their lives were spared. Oh, and that your kingdom was not entirely destroyed.”

Daichi subdued his amused smile. “Thank you. It’s taken some time to rebuild but I am thankful that not too many lives were lost in the tragedy. I am shocked that you seem to know so much about dragons. Were they covered in your education?”

“A little, but most of it comes from personal experience.”

_That_ caught Daichi off-guard, his jaw dropping instantly. He shook off his surprise and leaned forward to inquire further but at that moment, three musicians slipped into their clearing and began to play. The flute player closed his eyes, seeming to soak in the beauty of the cherry blossoms as he trilled and swayed. He was joined by a woman plucking away at a psaltery and a man with a lute who quickly cleared his voice to sing.

It was a love song. The sappiest love song that Daichi had ever heard and he immediately held up his hand to stop them. Before he could, however, Ushijima reached over the table and tapped his arm.

“I think perhaps we should let them continue,” he murmured softly, just loud enough that Daichi could hear.

“But it’s obvious that they were hired by Akaashi before the young lady canceled. You and I aren’t potential candidates for marriage, at least not to each other,” Daichi chuckled.

Ushijima considered that more thoughtfully than Daichi would have expected. “Yes, I suppose you are right. I am a king and it would not be reasonable to attach myself to a man who is to rule his own kingdom, particularly one so far away from my own. Still, they are enjoying themselves so much, it would be a shame to interrupt them.”

As Daichi stared at him incredulously, he spied it. Ushijima’s expression remained as plain as ever but there was a glimmer of mischief in his eyes. If it had only been that, he was certain he would have imagined it, but there was also a slight quirk to his lips.

Daichi covered his mouth, stifling a laugh, and cleared his throat. “They are enjoying it, aren’t they? Do you mind if I ask you about what you meant earlier, about having personal experience with dragons?”

Ushijima moved his chair closer to Daichi and leaned back toward him. “Of course. I would prefer if we kept this information between us since there are many ruthless people with both money and influence who would try to hunt the dragons for either sport or to sell their body parts.”

“You don’t need to worry about that. I’m just certain that Honda-san would like to know about them.”

“Yes, I am sure he would. In the mountains surrounding our capital, we have had several dragons reside there for protection. It started a few years ago and though they kept to themselves, I went through great pains to make sure our relationship remained amicable. I consulted with the farmers around the city and agreed that I would give them extra funds and instead of receiving more livestock for us, they were to set the extras free into the countryside. It allowed the dragons to hunt the lands and not attack the farmers or hurt any humans. 

“The ending result was better than I expected. With the dragons hunting on the open plains, they also reduced the number of raids on our outer villages from thieves and barbarians. Although we lack clear methods of communication, we have formed a symbiotic relationship between us. 

“It took a long time, but trust was formed as well and they will allow me and my men to approach their homes and leave unscathed, as long as we bring no weapons with us. I had been hoping that they would feel comfortable enough to call the mountains their home and finally, a few months ago, I had the first real sign of it. One of the female dragons built a nest and had laid an egg. 

“She is still protective over it, naturally, and will not let us approach. That is fine with us, but I wish to speak to her clearly, let her know our intentions, and if there is anything we can do to facilitate their health and happiness while living on our land. To do that, I need the dragon lord to come and speak to them for me. Do you think he would come?”

“I’m certain that he would, although I am not sure how quickly he could come. He’s only been settled in his village for a few months and the trip to Shiratorizawa is not an easy one.”

“If he agrees to come, Sawamura, then I will personally send a guarded entourage to escort him from his village to our capital, and I will make sure the trip is a comfortable and enjoyable one. It would mean everything to me if he would come.”

“Well, my trip back home takes me straight through the village of Nekoma, so I will tell him immediately and then send his reply back to you. The message may even beat you home.”

There was a rumble in Ushijima’s chest, and it took Daichi a moment to realize it was a chuckle. “Thank you for understanding, Sawamura. It would be a great weight off my shoulders to have him visit.”

The musicians finally ended their song to Daichi’s great relief and as they bowed, Ushijima quickly started clapping. Daichi joined in just out of politeness but he hoped that the musicians would finally get the hint that he and Ushijima weren’t potential partners at all. As they all straightened up from their bows, however, the lute player stepped forward.

“Thank you, my fine lords. ‘Tis a fine day for both music and love. I hope that this next tune can help reveal the inner sanctums of your hearts so that you may entwine your lives together in the most beautiful way.”

“Oh no, we’re actually not—” Daichi started, but the player ignored him as he strummed the introduction to the next song. Groaning, Daichi buried his face in his hands. All the peace he felt from the enchanting circle of cherry blossom trees had been obliterated by the impertinent music, and yet he could hear distant chortling from the _loyal_ knights guarding outside the clearing.

With a resigned sigh, he turned back to Ushijima. “You mentioned earlier that I’m not a viable candidate because I’ll have my own kingdom to rule.”

“Yes, that is correct.”

“You don’t seem bothered by the fact that I am a man.”

“That would not bother me. Not only are most women afraid of me, but I think I prefer men to them anyway.”

“But a man could not give you an heir.”

Ushijima stared hard at him for a moment until his eyebrows lifted suddenly. “Ah, forgive me. You do not know much about the ways of my kingdom, do you?”

“No, I’m afraid I don’t. Our steward taught me everything he knew about your kingdom but since it’s been generations since we had anything to do with each other, our information is limited. I would like to learn more, however, if you don’t mind.”

“I would be delighted to,” Ushijima replied in the most deadpan tone Daichi had ever heard. A part of him wished Kuroo had been there to witness the entire scene so they could laugh about it later. “The culture of Shiratorizawa would not be able to sustain a government where our ruler is passed only to the next blood relation. Instead, each king is challenged to the position through a series of tests, and whoever wins the majority of them is the one to wear the crown.”

“So, you can marry whoever you’d like to. Or even not at all?”

“Within reason. If a king or queen has a partner during his rule, they do typically have duties to help support the king. Most often they have diplomatic duties and help ease political tensions, forge alliances, many ways for them to contribute. It would not be good for me to marry someone useless.”

Daichi couldn’t hold back his laughter but luckily, Ushijima didn’t seem offended. “No, I guess that wouldn’t be good. But since you are single, you basically handle everything on your own?”

“Yes, and as adept as I am at being the king, I have to admit my shortcomings when it comes to any kind of social engagement.” Ushijima pressed his lips together and looked away, almost as if he were embarrassed to admit it. It was obvious that Ushijima wasn’t the most skilled when it came to conversation or interacting with others, but he could be a lot worse. Regardless, Daichi couldn’t help but feel a little sorry for him.

“To be honest, your Majesty, I think Oikawa was missing out when he refused the invitation earlier. I have been enjoying our conversation immensely.”

Ushijima blinked at him, his lips parting slightly. It struck Daichi that he was probably not often, if ever, complimented on his conversation. As Ushijima pressed his lips back together, Daichi spied them lifting at the corners in the smallest of smiles.

“Thank you. That means a lot to me, Sawamura. Since you are enjoying it, is there anything else you’d like to ask?”

“Well, I am still a little curious about the order of succession. You said you needed to undergo a series of tests and that you needed to defeat the current king. What kind of tests?”

“Naturally, most of the tests are built around strength and fighting ability. Any hint of cowardice disqualifies you automatically. Other tests require a logical and strategic mind since running a kingdom requires more than a strong and dexterous body. I had been trained since I was a child to fulfill the role and so I was able to defeat the king before me.”

Daichi hummed, tapping his fingers against the table. Shiratorizawa’s way of succession was fascinating to him, but he had a question burning on his mind. Depending on the person, it could be considered a very impertinent question but at least Ushijima didn’t seem the type to be offended.

“Can I ask what became of the king before you? Is it customary for the new one to…” Daichi paused to clear his throat, “kill the old one?”

Thankfully, Ushijima didn’t seem offended at all as he calmly shook his head. “There’s no need to kill the old king unless he refuses to give up the throne. Considering Washijo trained me himself, grooming me to be his replacement, he was immensely proud of me when I finally defeated him. He was extremely old to still be wearing the crown, but I assure you that he did not go easy on me during the trials. Now he is enjoying his retirement nearby with his wife and their family. The farm he lives on is lovely.”

Daichi laughed. “I’m glad. I have never regretted the fact that I was born a prince who will inevitably inherit the throne from my father. With that said, I think the way your kingdom handles it is excellent. You may have a great king who reigns for a very long time, but who’s to say his son would have the same qualities? He could be a terrible person.”

“Or vice versa, with a king who is viewed as a tyrant with a son who is far more compassionate,” Ushijima replied, his gaze unwavering toward Daichi. “It would be wrong to judge the prince in that situation, I think.”

Daichi’s cheeks warmed and he smiled back at Ushijima. “Thank you, Your Majesty.”

Ushijima inclined his head. “Of course. Now, would you mind if I ask some questions of Karasuno? Our information on your kingdom is probably just as limited as yours is on ours.”

“Go right ahead.”

Before Ushijima could ask, the music ended abruptly even though the song was obviously not finished. Daichi turned toward them and covered his mouth to hide his grin, seeing Akaashi shoo the musicians out of the clearing with a red face. When they were gone, Akaashi faced Ushijima and Daichi and gave a low bow. 

“I am so sorry about that. I forgot to call them off when the young lady canceled.”

Daichi chuckled and waved him off. “It’s alright, Akaashi. It was a little awkward, but we were still able to hear each other.” Suddenly realizing why Akaashi was there, Daichi sighed heavily. “I suppose you’re here to bring me to my next meeting. But weren’t you going to send a servant to escort me instead?”

Akaashi twiddled his finger in front of him as he forced himself to meet Daichi’s eye. “I was going to, but the situation has slightly changed, and I felt that it was important that I explain everything in person. I am afraid I have some bad news…”

Daichi’s heart raced as he stood up from the table. “Did something happen? Is Tetsu okay?”

“Kuroo’s fine!” Akaashi said, holding up his hands. “I took him to the library where I expected him to stay busy for several hours at least.”

Daichi released a long breath, allowing his body to relax. “That’s a relief. That is something he would enjoy. So, what’s happening?”

“Your next meeting was canceled.”

“Oh! That’s a shame,” Daichi lied, trying to keep his face stoic.

“The next several meetings after that as well.”

Daichi frowned. “That… is more than a coincidence.”

Akaashi winced. “I thought the same which is why I decided to take some time from my schedule and investigate the matter. I am afraid that some false rumors are being spread around the castle at an unimaginable speed, rumors that would certainly make you a less appealing candidate for marriage. Hence the cancelations.”

“Rumors? What do they say about me?”

“Please… I could not imagine saying such things out loud, especially in front of royalty.”

“Akaashi, I have a right to know what’s being said about me. I’m sure Ushijima wouldn’t judge me for scandalous rumors.”

Ushijima rose from the table and stood next to Daichi and although there was no doubt of his support, Daichi felt overwhelmed by his intense presence as he stood at full height. “Do not worry about me, Akaashi. As Sawamura said, I would never pay heed to rumors and I am not easily offended.”

Akaashi gulped, his shoulders dropping slightly. “I understand. I have only heard a few rumors and I have no doubt that there are more. One specified that you have a rash on your backside that whenever you get excited, sexually or otherwise, the rash tends to spread until it covers your entire body and you need to bathe in a special concoction to soothe it. Apparently, the treatment smells like a combination of burning metal and flatulence born of eating only cabbage.”

“That’s strange and oddly specific. Is that only one of the rumors?”

“Yes, unfortunately. Many describe strange eating habits, such as cutting every individual stem from a broccoli floret and then cutting each stem in half before eating it. I do not want to mention what you do to peas.”

Daichi stared at him a moment, confused out of his mind. “Why would something like that even be a rumor?! Not that it’s true, but it doesn’t make sense.”

“Picture it from a young lady’s perspective. If you truly did eat in such a way, wouldn’t it make her less interested in being your spouse where she would be forced to eat with you every day.”

Ushijima hummed. “I am not one to be bothered by people’s habits, but I do think something like that would get on my nerves. I can attest to Sawamura’s eating style, however. He eats like a gentleman and does not cut his food that small.”

At last, Akaashi’s miserable expression melted and he snickered softly at Ushijima’s assurance. “Thank you for that information, your Majesty. The only other one I heard was referencing the size of your genitalia, inferring that it is, um, obscenely small.”

Daichi groaned as he rubbed the back of his head. “That’s ridiculous. Who would even know that? The only ones here who have seen me naked are Asahi and Suga considering all the times we all bathed in the river on scouting missions. And then of course Tetsu… Oh, no. Akaashi, are you sure he’s still holed up in the library?”

“Daichi-san, as much as I suspect Kuroo to be involved, I have an idea that he wasn’t nearly to blame for all of this.”

“Then who would?”

Akaashi pressed his lips tight. “I have quite an extensive knowledge of all the kingdoms, the skills and abilities of the nobles here in the castle and all of their knights. I fear that the only ones who could have spread such idiotic rumors so quickly are none other than the knights of Fukurodani. I assure you that when my suspicions are confirmed, they will be harshly reprimanded for this.”

“Why would your knights spread lies like this?”

“They are all fond of Kuroo and I imagine that they wanted to support him and his… affections,” he added, shifting a glance at Ushijima.

Daichi nodded, understanding his meaning perfectly. His ire quickly faded, however, when the reality of his situation dawned on him. He gasped and stared at Akaashi through wide, hopeful eyes.

“So, I have no more matchmaking meetings today? I’m free?”

“Actually, you do have one remaining.”

“Oh,” he sighed, not even bothering to mask his disappointment. “She wasn’t scared off by the rumors?”

“No. In fact, I’d say that, whatever she heard, made her even more excited to meet you in person. You are to dine with Lady Nametsu this evening in her private suite.”

“Ah, Lady Nametsu,” Ushijima said and turned toward Daichi, patting his shoulder. “She is a citizen of Shiratorizawa, specifically the town of Dateko. Some of the best knights in the region come from there. You’ll like her.”

Instantly picturing a woman with Ushijima’s disposition and stature, one who wouldn’t be dissuaded by a rash or miniscule genitalia, Daichi wasn’t sure if he trusted Ushijima’s opinion on that. To his surprise, Akaashi hummed in agreement. 

“I think you will enjoy your evening with her. As for right now, you are free to spend your time as you wish. I, unfortunately, need to get back to my duties.”

“Yes, thank you, Akaashi.” 

With a quick bow, Akaashi rushed out of the clearing. Daichi sighed heavily, still shocked by the turn of events. He could handle _one_ matchmaking meeting, at least, especially since he was supposed to have a whole day full of them before. 

As a group of servants rushed into the clearing to clean up their luncheon, Daichi stepped out of the way and turned toward Ushijima. “Do you have any other plans for this afternoon?”

“I do not have any at the moment. Perhaps you’d like to explore more of the castle grounds with me and we can discuss your kingdom? I’d prefer it to getting lost inside. I am unaccustomed to such an intricate maze of hallways.”

Daichi smiled. “Of course, after you,” he said, gesturing toward the path out of the clearing. As he followed Ushijima, he felt most of his stress and nerves he’d been subduing all morning ease off his shoulders. While he wasn’t impressed by the rumors being spread around, he was willing to sacrifice his pride to get out of so many matchmaking sessions. He stepped out of the clearing and breathed in the pleasant fragrance of flowers, basking in the afternoon sunlight. “It really is a beautiful day. So, I take it that Shiratorizawa’s castle is not as large?”

Ushijima coughed slightly, almost sounding like a laugh. “We have no castles at all. I and many of the lords have estates, but the largest does not exceed three floors high. Now, I believe it is my turn to ask the questions?”

Daichi barked out a laugh. “Yes, I’m sorry. I’ll restrain myself until you’ve had your fill. What would you like to know?”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The next chapter will still have a lot of Daichi pov, but we'll definitely be checking in with Kuroo to see what he's been up to and have a bit of his perspective as well! Thank you for the awesome comments so far! I love seeing what you guys think of each development


	6. Chapter 6

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I have no excuses to why it took me so long to update this chapter. Life is crazy, it happens *shrugs* ALSO I am so sorry it's taken me so long to answer back comments!! I seriously appreciate every single one and I will do my best to stay on top of them this time.

Daichi sighed heavily when they turned the corner and he could finally see the door to their suite up ahead. He’d spent most of the afternoon with King Ushijima, being grilled over every aspect of Karasuno from their agriculture to their governmental structure. As exhausting as it was, it was far more enjoyable than meeting with all the young ladies his father wanted to set him up with. 

After saying goodbye to Ushijima and his entourage of knights, they headed straight for Fukurodani’s library, expecting to see Kuroo pouring over books at one of the tables. He was astounded by the size of it and, ignoring the obvious inadequacies of Karasuno’s royal library in comparison, they spent a good deal of time searching the rows and rows of books until they finally gave up.

He didn’t have much time before his only appointment for the day, and he still wasn’t certain where Lady Nametsu’s suite was located. But Daichi was determined to spend even a few minutes in Kuroo’s company before heading over there. If Kuroo hadn’t gone back to their own suite after leaving the library, however, then Daichi would just have to wait and hope that he wasn’t getting into any trouble.

Asahi walked inside first and immediately stopped, glancing in the direction of the servants’ room.

“What’s wrong?” Daichi asked, his body naturally stiffening at Asahi’s hesitation.

“Sorry, I just hear talking. I think Kuroo’s here with someone.”

“Really?”

Daichi pushed Asahi further into the room and strode toward Kuroo’s door. He relaxed when he heard some muffled laughter and recognized one of them as Kuroo. 

_ At least he’s enjoying himself _ , he thought, but there was something odd about it. When Kuroo _really_ laughed, typically there was no barrier that could muffle the volume of it. The doors within Fukurodani castle were made of a good, dense wood but it shouldn’t have quieted Kuroo to that extent. 

He was about to knock on the door when he heard another person speak, one he was just familiar with enough to recognize. If Konoha was spending time with Kuroo, then it was possible that they were practicing magic. Daichi glanced over his shoulder to see Asahi fumbling nervously with his belt and Suga’s eyes wide with gleeful interest.

“Suga? Shouldn’t you be outside guarding the door?”

Suga’s smile fell away as he narrowed his eyes at Daichi. “Why? Expecting ruffians to just plow through the door? I want to see who Kuroo’s with!”

“I’ll tell you later, just wait outside for me. Asahi, go to sleep.”

“Yup.” Immediately, Asahi crossed the suite and snuck into the guard’s quarters to rest while Suga rolled his eyes. 

“Fine, just don’t fight with him over something stupid.”

“I’m not going to fight with him, just go.”

Suga finally made his way back out into the hallway, but he dragged his feet the entire way, muttering under his breath. Daichi sighed and waited until the door clicked behind Suga before turning back to the door. The voices were now nothing more than whispers, further confirming his suspicions that there was magic happening just on the other side of the door. 

He knocked softly and called, “Tetsu? It’s just me out here. Can you open the door?”

Daichi heard Kuroo answer cheerfully, but his voice was still muffled strangely. He flinched when the door opened suddenly, and his jaw dropped when he saw the radiant smile on Kuroo’s face. It wasn’t that he expected him to be moping while Daichi met a bunch of marriage candidates, but he didn’t think he’d be literally shining with happiness.

“Hey! Come in, quick,” he said, yanking Daichi inside and slamming the door shut behind them. Konoha and a young woman were lounging on one of the extra servants' beds and scattered throughout the room were piles of papers and stacks of books. There was also a strange energy in the room, crackling like static and had his hair standing up on end.

“Hello again, your Majesty!” Konoha greeted him jovially with his usual smirk. “This is Yukie, another one of Bokuto’s personal guards and battlemage.”

Daichi gave Yukie a warm smile. “It’s an honor to meet you.”

“Oh!” she whispered, her eyes growing large. “That was sweet, I didn’t expect that.”

“Kuroo’s his lover, why wouldn’t he be nice to us?”

“Ah, that’s right! I forgot that he knew. It’s his father that doesn’t.”

“Right, or anyone else really.”

Daichi turned away from their back-and-forth chatting to level Kuroo a stern look. “This is you being careful?”

Kuroo winced and rubbed the back of his head. “Uhhh, well… I guess my first mistake was wandering around the library and finding their section on magic, which is where they found me. But you wouldn’t believe it! It’s a whole aisle of books on every type of magic you can imagine! All of it, out there in the open for anyone to just walk in and read. 

“It was so amazing, I almost didn’t believe my eyes. Konoha and Yukie found me and we started talking and sharing different spells and books. Then we came here so we could practice a little in private and already I’ve learned so much!” He stopped short suddenly, suddenly aware of his own growing excitement, and gave Daichi an apologetic smile. “I’m sorry. I know it’s dangerous for anyone to know about my abilities.”

Daichi’s chest clenched and he quickly reached out to rub Kuroo’s arm. “Don’t apologize for that. As much as I care about you, I’ll never understand completely how painful it is for you to keep your true self hidden from other people and not having anyone to identify with.” He glanced over at the pair on the bed, giving them a sharp look. “I’m relying on you both not to give him away to anyone. If it gets out that he uses magic, it could put his life in danger.”

To his relief, the smirking pair grew serious and shook their heads. 

“You don’t have to worry about that, your Majesty,” Konoha assured him. “We’ve practically adopted Kuroo as one of our own, and we protect our own with our lives.”

Yukie nodded. “We may be a bit meddlesome, but I assure you that our intentions are pure toward Kuroo. More than anything, we were just worried about him considering he lives in such an anti-magical realm.”

“I am glad you understand how serious his predicament is,” Daichi replied in a softer tone than before. He gazed back up at Kuroo and smiled at a smudge of ink on his upper cheek. “I am relieved that you’ve been having such a good time and making new friends. I’ve been worried about you all morning.”

Kuroo cocked his head. “Really? Why were you worried?”

At first, Daichi thought perhaps Kuroo was subduing his feelings for his benefit, but he knew whenever he wasn’t being entirely truthful. Despite how Kuroo felt when he’d left him earlier that day, it seemed that all his concerns about ladies stealing Daichi away from him had all disappeared from his mind completely. It wasn’t that he desired Kuroo’s anguish in any way, but he couldn’t deny the spike of irritation he felt seeing him so nonchalant about it.

“Well, I was under the impression that you were agonizing about the matchmaking sessions I had scheduled all day, but it seems like you’ve gotten over it completely.”

Kuroo’s eyes widened. “Oh! Um, yes, I was worried about it but then I got so distracted over the books and doing spells with Konoha and Yukie. How did they go?”

Daichi sighed as he ran a hand through his hair. “To be honest, I haven’t had any yet. Most of the appointments were canceled due to some unsavory rumors about me that have spread around the castle like wildfire.”

Kuroo’s eyebrows rose high as he pinched his lips shut, but his surprise and amusement were obvious. On the bed, however, Konoha and Yukie did nothing to contain their feelings on the matter, collapsing into each other in a fit of giggles.

“I can’t believe it worked!” Konoha wheezed, flicking away a tear that slipped out in his laughter. 

Yukie leaned back against the wall as she gripped her stomach. “I seriously hate to say this, but how many of your ideas _don’t_ work? It’s almost annoying, but I’ll let it slide this time.”

“So, it was _your_ idea, Konoha?” Daichi asked, cocking an eyebrow. 

The pair immediately stiffened and glanced at Kuroo for support. Daichi followed their gaze, trying his best to keep his expression stern while Kuroo seemed to be struggling between his happiness at the plan working and sheer guilt.

“They were just trying to help us out. Even while being distracted in the library, it was obvious that I was worried about all your appointments. They swore to me that it wouldn’t harm your relations with the other kingdoms, just enough to make you seem undesirable to young ladies.”

His lips spread wide into a toothy grin, while his eyes remained tight and stressed while he waited for Daichi’s reaction. It was fun to make him sweat, but Daichi finally softened his expression and chuckled.

“I understand. Honestly, it allowed me to connect more with King Ushijima and establish a good rapport with him, which is much more useful to my future than meeting random women I’m never going to be attracted to. So, thank you,” he added as he glanced back at Konoha.

“It was my pleasure, your Majesty!”

Daichi chuckled as Konoha gave him a playful wink. He had no doubt the knights of Fukurodani were just _aching_ for some shenanigans. 

“Hey,” Kuroo said as he stroked Daichi’s arm. “Does this mean you’re free for the rest of the day? Want to see some fun magic?” He wiggled his eyebrows and Daichi laughed. 

“I would love to see what new things you’ve learned, but unfortunately not all of my appointments were canceled. I have one more I need to get to.”

Kuroo’s face fell in dismay and across the room, Konoha and Yukie leaned forward with matching looks of disbelief.

“Are you telling me that there was one lady that didn’t get scared off? She must be really nuts, who is it?” Konoha asked seriously as if his own reputation were at stake.

“Lady Nametsu, I believe?”

“Ooooh, that explains it.”

Yukie laughed. “I had no idea Mai was on your list of candidates! Don’t worry about anything, your Majesty, you’re going to _love_ her.”

“That’s what I hear.”

“Wait,” Kuroo interjected, giving Yukie a fierce gaze. “What do you mean he’s going to love her?”

Yukie snickered. “Calm down, lover boy! She’ll be totally understanding of him being taken. I’m sure she’s just more curious than anything.”

Kuroo wrinkled his nose and hummed, still disgruntled. Daichi took his arms and turned him so they faced each other, giving him the most reassuring smile he could muster.

“Do you trust me?”

Kuroo stuck his lips into a pout. “Yes.”

“Then relax and enjoy your evening with your new friends. Just don’t get carried away and blow something up.”

His joke hit exactly as he planned, and Kuroo cracked a grin. “I’ll try my best, but no guarantees.”

“Good. And it’s my only appointment so hopefully, we can spend some of the evening together. Even if we can’t, we’ll have more time tomorrow before the wedding. Okay?”

Kuroo took a deep breath and nodded. Daichi squeezed his arms before turning back to the pair on the bed.

“Konoha, could I ask that you show me the way to Lady Nametsu’s suite? I think that would be easier than me wandering aimlessly searching for a servant to show me.”

“Of course!” Konoha chirped as he hopped off the bed. “I’ll be back after I deliver him to his new lover.”

“Hey!” 

“Ha ha, just kidding! But seriously, don’t do anything fun without me.”

Konoha bounded out of the room as Kuroo glared at his back. Daichi gently took one of his hands and brought it to his lips, brushing a kiss across the back of it. As he lifted his gaze, he smiled, seeing that he had successfully distracted him as his cheeks turned bright red.

“I will see you soon, I promise.”

“Uh-huh,” Kuroo responded, nodding.

Daichi chuckled and released his hand, following Konoha out into the main suite. As the door shut behind him, he heard Yukie say, “Woof! Prince _charming_ is right.” 

Konoha snickered and shook his head. “Are you meeting Lady Nametsu for supper? If that’s the case, we better hurry.”

“Um, could I trouble you for just one more moment, Konoha?”

Konoha cocked his head and slipped his hands into his pockets. “Sure, is there a problem?”

“No, it’s just—” Daichi glanced back at Kuroo’s door, hearing soft conversation inside. He quickly stepped further away, motioning for Konoha to come with him. “I wanted to ask you something,” he whispered, licking his lips. “If Fukurodani has such an extensive library of books on magic, I imagine that there are also shops that sell them?”

“Well, yeah, of course. As long as you can afford them, however, since some tend to be expensive. There are some shops that sell them used but they don’t often have a good selection. Why do you ask?”

Daichi pursed his lips and stared at Kuroo’s door. He wouldn’t ever forget the light shining from his face as he talked about all the books he could read in Fukurodani’s library. It killed him that they would have to leave soon and go back home, a home where Kuroo couldn’t whisper a word about magic. With a deep breath, he turned back to Konoha, his mind entirely made up.

“I know you’re extremely busy with the wedding tomorrow, but if I give you some money, could you go buy Kuroo some books and deliver them to me before we leave? You’ve spent a good deal of time with him today, so you should know which ones would be beneficial for him, right?”

Konoha stared at him blankly for a moment. Slowly, a warm smile emerged on his face, the first that wasn’t a blatant smirk, and nodded.

“Sure, I’ll be happy to do it. The shops are probably closing soon, but I’ll have plenty of time to peruse them tomorrow.”

“They’ll be open on the day of the wedding?”

“Oh yeah! For an event like that, the market makes a fortune on all the visiting foreigners.”

“I see.” Daichi glanced around and spotted one of his trunks located at the end of the bed. Opening it up, he found a money bag he had stored inside just in case and handed it to Konoha. “Do you think this would be enough?”

Konoha took the bag and opened it up. He pulled a few of the coins and whistled before dropping them back inside. “Yeah, this should be plenty for a few books. Are you sure you want to trust me with all this?”

“I’m a fairly good judge of character. Besides, you know this is for Kuroo and considering everything you’ve done for him today, I imagine that you wouldn’t mind helping him a little more.”

Konoha chuckled and pulled the string to shut the bag, securing it safely on his belt. “Yeah, I’d like to help him any way that I can. Yukie and I may have it easy as far as using magic in a society that reveres it, but we do know what it’s like to be persecuted in other ways. We’ve followed Bokuto for ages and supported him, even when it seemed like most of the influential nobles of the kingdom were against him. It secured our bonds with each other, but it was hard. And I know Kuroo isn’t alone, but I’m sure there’s only so much you can do as the Prince.”

Daichi hummed. “That’s true, but hopefully I will have more influence in the near future. Speaking of which, do you think you can also disguise the books so it’s not obvious that they’re books on magic?”

Konoha scoffed. “Of course! That’s an extremely simple spell. For now though, I should probably deliver you to the clutches of Lady Nametsu.”

When Daichi grimaced, Konoha tipped his head back and cackled. He said nothing else though as he led the way out of the room, leaving Daichi to trail behind him, joining up with Suga outside. With his afternoon spent with Ushijima and discovering what Kuroo had been up to the whole time, Daichi hadn’t had time to even wonder what he was getting himself into with the only woman in all of Fukurodani who was willing to meet him.

—

Lady Nametsu’s quarters ended up being farther than Daichi could have imagined. Konoha led him to the very front of the castle, across the lobby, and up another grand staircase that led to even more hallways. The long distance gave Daichi plenty of time to get nervous, but seeing the ominous-looking guard standing outside her door when they finally arrived was enough to push him over the edge. 

The guard was extremely tall and wide, possibly even more than Asahi or King Ushijima. His hair was as white as snow and it was difficult for Daichi to tell at first glance, but he may have been missing his eyebrows entirely. When the guard’s eyes locked onto them, all his characteristics combined elevated his intimidating air.

Luckily, Konoha was not dissuaded by the man’s glare and laughed. “Relax, Aone. This is Prince Sawamura Daichi from Karasuno. I believe Lady Nametsu is expecting him.”

Aone’s eyes trailed over Daichi for a moment. He merely grunted and turned toward the door, opening it and stepping inside without making any sort of announcement. Daichi gave Konoha a wary look but as kind as the wizard was, he was equally rotten.

“Good luck, your Majesty!” he chirped, giving both him and Suga slaps on the arm before heading back down the hall.

Daichi winced and stared at the open door where Aone had disappeared. He took a deep breath, reminding himself that he had stared down his own father in sheer boldness, faced ruthless barbarians with none of his knights by his side, and led his armies against mind-controlled dragons. He came out of those situations alive, so there was no reason he couldn’t meet with this one woman and live to tell the tale.

Nodding to Suga, they both entered Lady Nametsu’s suite together. It was very similar to Daichi’s, just some differences in color and patterns. Aone stood next to a round breakfast table where another knight lounged as he sipped on his wine. On the other side of the table from him was a young Lady, stylishly dressed in a plum-colored dress with sheer blue sleeves fastened over it, a golden buckle secured over her waist. Her dark blonde hair was rolled back away from her face and pinned in a bun with an ornate circlet nestled on top.

She rose when Daichi entered and gave him a radiant smile. “You must be Prince Daichi! Forgive my guard, he’s just as scary as he is quiet. I would have posted Futakuchi outside instead, but I figured you’d prefer silence to being heckled.”

The other knight, Futakuchi Daichi guessed, snickered but said nothing. Aone continued to stare at them in a way that sent a chill up Daichi’s spine. It felt like having a sword pointed in his face even though Aone held no weapons at the moment.

Lady Nametsu rolled her eyes. “Cut it out, you two, or I’ll send you away.”

Futakuchi gasped. “My Lady! What would people say if it was just you two here alone?”

“Like I ever minded people talking about me. Come on in, your Majesty! Have a seat. Futakuchi, go somewhere else.”

Futakuchi groaned, but he obediently grabbed his wine and crossed the room, flopping down in an armchair in front of the fire. It was only then that Daichi moved closer and he realized with a start that he had yet to say anything to the Lady.

“Forgive me, my Lady,” he said, bowing before taking the seat she indicated. “It has been an unusual day. I am grateful to you for keeping your appointment with me.”

Nametsu waved him off as she sat next to him. “Do not worry about a thing! Trust me, meeting you is far more for my benefit than it is for yours. It will get my parents off my back about marriage for a few months at least.”

Daichi cocked his head at her. “I take it you’re not very interested in settling down either?”

“Not at all! I am enjoying my life so much at the moment, traveling between the kingdoms and becoming acquainted with many different people. Marriage is really the furthest thing from my mind, and I’m not sure it will ever be something I would consider. Oh, but I hope you do not take offense.”

Daichi scoffed. “Not at all. Is that why you were unperturbed by all the rumors going around about me?”

Nametsu laughed. “I know fake news when I hear it. Although… I guessed that most of them were false but there was one rumor I wanted to ask you about personally just in case it happened to be true.” She leaned back in her seat and eyed Daichi critically, a little smirk playing on her lips. 

Daichi felt the heat in his cheeks rise, recalling some of the rumors. “You can ask me, my Lady, and I will do my best to give you an honest answer.”

She perked up immediately, straightening up in her seat. “Excellent! That would save me time guessing, although that is fun to do as well,” she added, her eyes trailing over Daichi’s body. “Hmm, given the current cut of your clothing and how they fit on your body, I expect that you’re not wearing them now. But tell me, Your Majesty, do you often wear ladies’ underclothes?”

Suga snorted loudly behind him and attempted to cover it up with a cough. Daichi felt the heat from his cheeks spread down his neck and chest at the bold question, one that hardly had Lady Nametsu batting an eyelash. Clearing his throat, Daichi shook his head.

“No, my Lady, I can’t say that I have.”

Lady Nametsu sighed forlornly. “I worried that was just a false rumor as well. Damn whoever spread them, getting my hopes up like that!”

“You are saying that would have appealed to you?”

“Yes! People, no matter their gender, have incredibly different body types, but I find it so alluring to see flowing silks and delicate lace on those that do not often wear it. Well, I said _underclothes_ , but that hardly covers the vast array of erotic clothing people can wear. It is a shame that men do not indulge in it enough. Do you know what I mean, your Majesty?”

“Er, you can call me Daichi—”

“Thank you! You can call me Mai.”

Daichi huffed out a laugh as he rubbed the back of his head. “To answer your question, I never really considered it. I’m not sure I can even picture a woman’s undergarments.”

Mai narrowed her eyes and leaned toward him. “You seem to be an adorably bashful sort of man, but I didn’t take you for a virgin.”

“Oh, well, I—”

“Do they come to you naked already?”

“What?! No!”

Mai gasped, her eyes widening. “I take it you’ve only been with men then.”

Daichi’s mouth dropped, his brain entirely unable to keep up with her. Mai, on the other hand, cooed with interest as her eyes sparkled.

“So _that’s_ it! Oh Daichi, I am about to open up a whole new world for you.”

While Daichi struggled to emerge from his stupor, Futakuchi cackled across the room. “You say I’m cruel, Mai, but I have nothing on you. Why not yank the man’s entire sexual history from him for your own entertainment?”

Mai covered her face with her hands and groaned. “I’m so sorry! It’s such a terrible habit of mine. I just assume everyone is as open about their sexuality as I am!”

“No, no, it’s fine,” Daichi tried reassuring her. “I mean, I cannot be very open about it. My situation is… complicated.”

Mai dropped her hands and nodded. “I’m sure it is! I can’t imagine your father who is so strict on magic would be fine with you having a string of male lovers! Most kings don’t mind their sons dallying at all, as long as they marry someone who can grant them an heir.”

Daichi grimaced. “Well, I don’t really dally, and I definitely don’t have a string of lovers.”

“He’s a one man’s man,” Suga chimed in. Daichi’s back was toward him, but he could tell by his jovial tone that he had been enjoying the conversation more than he would have liked.

“That’s so romantic!” Mai squealed. “Can you tell me anything about him at all? His looks, I mean. Perhaps I can still convince you about certain attire if we pick something that would look good on him.”

“Forgive me, but I don’t think that—”

“You never know until you try!” she interrupted, hopping out of her seat. “Futakuchi, Aone, help me with some of the boxes.” 

Futakuchi sighed as he followed her to the end of her bed where stacks of boxes sat. “I thought you were supposed to have supper with him and not hold an erotic party?”

Mai giggled. “The servants will be serving food any moment, and I won’t let it get _that_ bad. Not like last time. Daichi is obviously a monogamous romantic.”

As they brought over several boxes and set them out on the table, Daichi felt Suga hovering over his shoulder. Mai flipped open one lid and pulled out a long white gown with lace ruffles all over it. 

“Now, Daichi, reach out and touch it,” she ordered, holding it toward him. 

Daichi eyed the garment as if it would bite him and tentatively stroked his fingers over it. “Hmm, it’s surprisingly soft.”

“Right? Trust me when I say that Aoba Johsai is the best when it comes to this sort of thing. I actually have a particular man I go to, so if anything catches your eye, I can give you his information. Just tell him that Mai referred you.”

“Oh, thank you. But honestly, this isn’t really—”

“Say nothing else! Not into frills and I don’t blame you there,” she said, shoving the garment back into the box and tossing the whole thing aside. “They tend to get in the way of activities, but they can be fun for a tease.”

Daichi sighed as she pulled out several others, having Futakuchi or Aone hold them up for her if she wanted to point out certain details. They were pretty garments but to him, they didn’t look much different from ladies’ gowns, just less ornate. Suga seemed a bit more curious than he was, however, and Mai seemed delighted whenever he chimed in with a question or wanted to feel the fabric.

“This one is one of my favorite designs,” she gushed as she pulled out another. “The way the bottom is split, it’s meant entirely to show off one’s legs.”

“Yes, that’s very— _Oh…_ ” Daichi murmured as he leaned forward for a better look. Unlike the other garments which were an array of pastels and whites, the one in Mai’s hands was black silk, the fabric flowing down like spilled ink. He eyed the way the fabric fell away and instantly imagined how it would look with one of Kuroo’s long legs slipping out of it.

“Looks like we have a winner!” Mai cheered. “I take it you’re all about your lover’s legs, Daichi?”

“Uh…”

“Definitely,” Suga answered for him, nodding sagely. “He also has a broad chest and I have caught him staring at it on more than one occasion.”

“Suga!”

Turning toward him, Suga gave Daichi a withering gaze. “Lady Nametsu obviously has excellent taste. Tell me you wouldn’t want to see him in that.”

Daichi frowned, unable to refute it. When he turned back to Mai, he was surprised to find her sitting back down, furiously scribbling down some notes.

“Is your lover tall then, Daichi?”

“Yes,” he admitted, knowing that keeping anything secret at that moment was pointless.

Mai nodded and glanced up at her knights. “Both of you, stand up straight and face him. Which one would you say is closer to his body type?” she asked, gazing seriously at Daichi.

Daichi took a moment to look over them both. Neither were Kuroo’s exact dimensions, but it was obvious which one was closer.

“Futakuchi.”

An insufferable grin rose on Futakuchi’s face. “Oh _really_? Good to know I’m your type, your Majesty.”

“You’re not my type. Just physically closer to him than your fellow knight.”

“Do not fret! I am no homewrecker, just flattered that you find me appealing.”

Mai sighed as she reached up and smacked the back of his head. “Cut that out! Don’t forget that he’s our guest. Oh, but that is an idea though. Daichi, would you like Futakuchi to try this on for you? That might give you a better idea of what it would look like on your own lover.”

Daichi immediately shook his head. “No, that won’t be necessary.”

“Are you sure? I’ve put him in far more suggestive things than this.”

Daichi glanced between her and Futakuchi. A part of him still wondered if they were playing a prank on him, but Futakuchi didn’t even bat an eyelash at the suggestion. In fact, he was appraising the garment with a nod.

“I wouldn’t mind at all with this type of fabric. The last one she put on me itched in all the wrong places.”

“I’m sorry about that, but I made it up to you, didn’t I?”

“Hmm, I suppose you did.”

Daichi cleared his throat. “So, your knights wear these as well?”

Mai gave him a bright smile. “Yes! Well, some took some convincing at first but all of them see the appeal now and have their favorites. Everyone was shocked when we discovered that Aone’s favorite was anything with netting.” With that, she turned toward Aone who had yet to contribute anything to the conversation but didn’t look disturbed by it either. “Show them!”

With a soft grunt, Aone approached the table, placed a hand on the back of a chair to keep his balance, and removed one of his boots. Letting it drop to the floor, he set his foot on the chair and rolled his pant leg up to his knee. Aone’s pale skin was barely visible beneath the netted fabric that was dyed an ice-blue color and hugged his leg so closely that one could see the shape of his muscle underneath. Daichi couldn’t resist leaning closer to see better, but Suga didn’t hold back at all as he knelt right in front of Aone and cooed.

“I had no idea what to expect, but it looks so good! Do you always wear it under your clothing and armor?” Suga asked as he continued to ogle Aone’s leg.

When Aone wiggled his head uncertainly, Futakuchi spoke up for him. “We don’t typically while we’re on duty, especially if we plan on actually fighting or training. A situation such as this where Mai is more likely to arrange an erotic party in her suite, you can guarantee that we’re all wearing something like this under our clothes.”

Suga finally tore his eyes away from Aone’s leg to give Futakuchi a salacious grin. “Oh? What do _you_ have on under that, I wonder?”

“I don’t mind showing you if you’d like to see,” Futakuchi responded with a smirk, his hands already falling to his belt.

“ _I_ mind,” Daichi quickly interjected, giving them both threatening glares.

Mai laughed and shoved Futakuchi away. “Go see if the servants are ready to serve supper. I would be a terrible host if I did not feed my company. Do not worry, Daichi, I’m putting all of this away for the moment.”

“I am thankful. Not that I really minded initially but at the rate it was going, it was about to make me uncomfortable,” he added, shooting Suga another glare. 

Mai gathered up the last of the garments, but she kept her eye on Suga as well as she did so. “Will you have some free time at all while you stay here, Suga?”

“I should!”

“Excellent! If you’d like, we can arrange another meeting before you leave, and you’ll have the chance to try some on yourself.”

Suga gasped as his hand clutched at his chest. “Do you mean that, my Lady? Ever since you started pulling them out, I have been itching to put one on myself.”

“Don’t think for a moment that I haven’t been eyeing you up with certain garments in mind!”

As the pair giggled together, servants entered the room with their supper, none of them paying any attention to the random bits of silk or lace that had yet to be put away. Daichi was relieved for an opportunity to change the subject, knowing what a bad influence Suga could be when he got going. He didn’t mind what Suga might get into with Mai and her guards when he wasn’t on duty, but he didn’t want any part of it himself. There was no denying, however, that the black silk gown was toying with his imagination, especially whenever he pictured it on Kuroo.

Thankfully, Mai settled down once they began eating and Daichi was amazed at how naturally they fell into conversation. The fact that she didn’t want to marry him at all took all the pressure off the situation, and he admired the way she kept her intimidating guards in line with a few snappy words without diminishing her obvious affection for them. There was something about her that reminded him of someone else entirely, someone he hadn’t seen in years. 

Just thinking of her stung painfully, so he quickly shook off his feelings of nostalgia and did his best to get to know Mai herself. Even if neither of them was interested in each other romantically, he knew for a fact that he had made another valuable friend. He couldn’t believe how well the trip was going so far and as long as nothing disastrous happened that evening or the next day, he was certain that the trip would remain one of the most important events of his life.

—

After Konoha rejoined them in the servants’ quarters off Daichi’s suite, all of Kuroo’s earlier elation from practicing magic freely had diminished considerably. For a while they kept at it, pouring over books and writing down notes for Kuroo to go through later, but even Yukie and Konoha started to yawn and whine. It was no surprise considering they’d been cooped up for hours, so the pair decided to show him the rest of the castle.

As magnificent as it was, Kuroo surprisingly found himself homesick for Karasuno’s halls. There was a hominess to the warm torchlight flickering over the stone facades rather than the frigid marble found throughout Fukurodani’s castle. There was also the size of the castle to consider. He was certain that it would take him years to learn the maze-like layout of Fukurodani’s castle whereas Karasuno was laid out in a practical and efficient way. Of course, Karasuno wasn’t without its own surprises. He doubted that Bokuto was hiding an ancient dragon within his castle dungeons.

They shared a quick supper with some of the other guards, an event that took Kuroo’s mind off Daichi and his homesick momentarily. By the end of it, however, he felt the usual longing to be by Daichi’s side that he felt whenever they were separated, even if it was for a few hours. Yukie quickly caught onto his moping and laughed.

“You’re so pathetic! Come on, your prince should be done with his meeting about now. If we hurry, we can catch him as he leaves, and you can all go together back to your suite. Okay?”

Kuroo smiled warmly at her and nodded. “That would be nice. I’m not sure I could wait in our room for him to return. I’d probably start clawing at the walls.”

“Akaashi would kill you if you damaged the wallpaper,” Konoha chimed in and then patted Kuroo on the back. “Let’s go, lover boy.”

Kuroo huffed out a laugh and followed them through a series of hallways until they made it to the staircase that led down toward the grand foyer at the entrance of the castle. As they descended, Kuroo glanced around but didn’t see Daichi anywhere. There weren’t as many crowds as there were at the beginning of the day, but there were some nobles still milling around aimlessly as well as a few late arrivals for the wedding still coming through the doors.

“Oh! Nice timing,” Yukie said, pointing across the foyer at another staircase. 

Kuroo followed the gesture and spotted Daichi and Suga at the bottom of the staircase, deep in conversation with one another. Kuroo’s heart swelled at the sight of him and considered sliding down the banister to get to the bottom quicker. He snickered, knowing how much trouble he’d get in for that antic, and decided on the safer route of hurrying down the rest of the stairs. 

“Daichi!” 

It was a woman’s voice that had cried out his lover’s name and Kuroo stopped cold, searching for the person the voice belonged to. He spotted her just inside the doors, an elegant young woman dressed in a traveling gown. She was beautiful, her long dark hair flowing down her back with large eyes nearly the same darkness as her hair. Kuroo’s stomach clenched as he stared at her ecstatic expression, her gaze set on Daichi alone.

“That’s strange,” he murmured and glanced at Daichi himself, expecting him to be just as confused as Kuroo was. 

His jaw fell slack as he saw Daichi staring back at the young woman with a strange mixture of surprise, excitement, and adoration. Kuroo couldn’t move a muscle as he watched Daichi tear across the foyer as the woman did the same, meeting halfway in a joyous embrace. Her laughter echoed throughout the grand space as he held her close, even lifting her off her feet in his fervor.

Kuroo stared at the scene unblinking. His whole body felt numb to the point that he wondered if he was having a nightmare and in a moment, he’d wake up to find Daichi snuggled against his chest. He _knew_ that Daichi would never betray him, but it was also apparent that the woman in Daichi’s arms meant a lot to him, possibly someone from his past.

As the woman pulled back from the embrace, cupped Daichi’s cheeks, and began kissing him all over his face, all Kuroo could do was croak out a horrified, “Huh?!”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Mwah ha ha, I love cliffhangers. I am working on several stories atm but I will try to focus on this one more than anything else. I hope you all enjoyed the update!!  
> I know I've been more focused on Daichi for a lot of this fic, but the next chapter should be more Kuroo's POV


	7. Chapter 7

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> GAH, I'm so sorry for the delay (*/ω＼*) Things have been rather crazy, not to mention that even when I have gotten a chance to write lately, I'm afraid I've been getting distracted by other projects. It happens

“Wow! To think that Prince Charming would cheat on you right before your eyes. Disgraceful.”

Kuroo startled at Yukie’s words and tore his eyes from his lover embracing a strange woman. Yukie’s mouth was screwed up in a way as if she was fighting off a smirk and her sigh was far too dramatic to be real. Next to him, Konoha snickered as he patted Kuroo’s shoulder.

“That’s rough, especially with all the work we put into keeping the ladies away from him. I guess there was only so much we could do.”

Kuroo huffed and batted his hand away. “Okay, so obviously you two know who she is and why it’s no big deal that Daichi is hugging her so closely. Personally, I’m a little overwhelmed, so if you two could enlighten me?”

Yukie’s answering smile was a touch guilty. “Don’t worry, lover boy. That’s just Lady Arisawa.” 

Kuroo frowned at her, waiting for the rest of the explanation. Yukie’s smile fell away as she leaned in closer to him.

“Lady Arisawa? Arisawa Miyu? You… You’ve never heard of her?”

“No. You know that I hardly know any nobility outside of Daichi’s family.”

“Yeah, but—So, Prince Daichi never mentioned her at all?”

Just as some of his anxiety had begun to fade, it rushed back in at the sight of Yukie sharing an apprehensive look with Konoha. He searched his mind, but he definitely would have remembered Daichi mentioning a woman by that name. In fact, Daichi rarely mentions any connections beyond the borders of Karasuno, mostly because of his father’s own distrust of other nations. It was incredible that the old man was so fed up with Daichi’s lack of romantic interest led him to set up so many meetings with noblewomen from the other kingdoms.

“Okay, so she’s Lady Arisawa. How is she connected to Daichi?”

Yukie winced. “I’d tell you but… I think that’s something you should discuss with him, especially since he’s never mentioned it before.”

Kuroo glanced back at Daichi who still had his arms around the lady. Their conversation was quick and enthusiastic, paying no attention to the other nobles lingering in the foyer as they whispered to each other. It was only a slight comfort that perhaps he wasn’t the only one present in the kingdom of Fukurodani that didn’t know that woman’s connection to Daichi, but as every second passed by that the pair still held onto each other, the more Kuroo’s stress compounded.

He was just about to charge down there and demand an answer when Konoha’s hand came back to his shoulder, this time with a bit more grip than before.

“Hey, take a deep breath. Your magic is crackling again.”

Kuroo clicked his tongue. “Aren’t you just more sensitive to it?”

“No, he’s right,” Yukie said. “I know you have a lot of control, but the power you have seems to be on a completely different level. We’ll let the prince explain who she is, but I can tell you right now that you have nothing to worry about, so try to calm down.”

Closing his eyes, Kuroo breathed deep. He hadn’t even noticed how hot his skin had become, tingling with the raw energy of his magic. Typically, he used images of Daichi to calm him down, his sleeping face or Kuroo’s fingers tracing the veins that ran through his strong hands. But considering that Daichi was the issue, he tried picturing Nekoma instead; the morning sun filtering through the trees and the river that snaked around it, trying to recall the sound of the water flowing over the rocks.

By the time he opened his eyes, he felt much calmer yet more determined than ever to find out the truth. He must have satisfied the other two enough that they stepped away, allowing him to rush down the rest of the stairs. It was only then that Kuroo noticed Suga hovering close to Daichi and Lady Arisawa, watching the two with a soft smile on his face. If _he_ didn’t see anything wrong with Daichi embracing her when he knew he was taken, then there must be some plausible explanation. 

Suga was naturally the first to notice his approach and when he saw the dark expression on Kuroo’s face, his smile disappeared, and he quickly tapped Daichi on the shoulder. Kuroo slowed his pace as he watched Daichi listen to Suga’s whispered words and the way his body language immediately changed. He stiffened and yanked the lady away from his body as he glanced around frantically, freezing as soon as his eyes landed on Kuroo.

Lady Arisawa squawked as she was suddenly shoved toward Suga, but Daichi hardly paid her any attention as he rushed toward Kuroo. 

“It isn’t—she’s not—I swear it’s not as bad as that probably looked,” Daichi finally managed to say, running his hand through his hair. 

Kuroo pressed his lips tight as he stared down at him. “Yukie already inferred that I have nothing to worry about, but she seemed confused about why I didn’t know that woman’s identity already. Are you keeping something from me?”

“No! I mean, not intentionally. Honestly, it’s just a little complicated and the subject never came up.”

“I think I’d be more likely to believe you if you didn’t have lipstick all over your face.”

Daichi swore under his breath and whipped a handkerchief from his pocket, forcefully rubbing his cheek with it. “I seriously wasn’t trying to keep it a secret from you. If I had known she’d be here, I definitely would have given you some warning. But I haven’t even had a letter from her in ages and with her circumstances—"

“You send each other letters?”

“Yes, it’s the only way we’re able to talk normally. Tetsu, please don’t look like that, she’s only my—"

“Sawamura Daichi!”

Daichi flinched at the sound of the woman’s voice as if she had cracked a whip across his back. Lady Arisawa appeared beside them, her entire demeanor changed from earlier into a boiling rage. 

“What is going on here? Why did you hurl me into Koushi’s arms as if I were a sack of potatoes?!”

“I’m really sorry, it’s just that I needed to speak to…” Daichi’s voice trailed off as he glanced around the area, finally noticing that they weren’t the only people in the room. “Um, my friend, servant?”

Her anger transformed into keen interest as her eyes darted up at Kuroo. “A friend servant?” she asked, tapping her finger against her lips as her eyes picked Kuroo apart. “Sounds like you’re a little confused about the nature of your relationship.”

“I’m not confused at all. I just can’t say things...openly.”

Her eyebrows shot up and her hawk-like stare fell back onto Daichi. “ _Really_?! Darling, is he the one you mentioned in your letters?”

From her fiendish giggle and the heavy indication from her words, Kuroo’s head was starting to spin. Most of all, however, he got stuck on one particular aspect.

“Darling?” he repeated, cocking an eyebrow at Daichi.

Kuroo didn’t often see Daichi in a situation in which he looked completely terrified, but his patience was wearing thin to the point that he had little sympathy. He waited with his arms crossed tightly as Daichi’s eyes flickered between him and Lady Arisawa, who was also waiting for an answer. Suga, on the other hand, seemed delighted to see Daichi sweat so much and watched expectantly nearby. 

Finally, Daichi huffed and glared back at Lady Arisawa. “I will explain who he is whenever we’re able to speak in private.” 

Lady Arisawa narrowed her eyes at him but this time, Daichi met the look with an equally obstinate gaze. Kuroo for the life of him couldn’t figure out the relationship between the two at all as he had to take a step back from the tense stalemate.

“Fine,” the lady finally declared with her chin in the air. “But you better not keep anything from me.”

“Fine,” Daichi spat back and then turned to Kuroo, sighing heavily as his expression softened. “Tetsu, this infuriating woman is my aunt.”

Kuroo’s mouth fell open. “Aunt?!”

“Infuriating?! You brat! And I know you haven’t explained who this Tetsu is, but you’re obviously close. Why doesn’t he know about me?”

Daichi groaned and rubbed the back of his neck. “It’s complicated. Do you even know the punishment of uttering your name within the castle walls? It’s worse than even mentioning my mother.”

Lady Arisawa pinched her lips tight as she fumed. “That bastard king! If I ever see him again, I am going to give him the beating of his life.”

Kuroo could hardly keep up with what he was hearing, still stuck on the fact that Daichi had an aunt that he’d never spoken of. At Lady Arisawa’s declaration of violence, gasps and whispers erupted around the room, and Konoha and Yukie descended on their group quickly with nervous laughter.

“My Lady!” Konoha gushed as he took her hand. “So lovely to see you. It might be best though if you specify _which_ king you would like to harm, particularly when arriving at a royal wedding event?”

Lady Arisawa clicked her tongue loudly and waved off the other nobles nearby. “Not Bokuto, obviously. _He’s_ a wonderful king.”

“Speaking of weddings,” Konoha continued, giving a mournful sigh, “I was so dejected to learn that I will never have a chance with you, my Lady.”

All the fury that had built up within Lady Arisawa melted instantly, and she gave Konoha a radiant smile. “Oh, sweet Akinori, you’re such a terrible flirt! But you know that I cannot abandon the love of my life for anyone,” she explained, placing her hand on her heart.

Daichi perked up at that and looked around. “Aunt Miyu, is he here? I never thought I’d get to meet him so quickly.”

At that, she gasped and smacked her cheeks with her hands. “Oh no, I left him behind at the carriage! I was so excited to see you, Daichi, that I just ran straight inside!” 

Everyone jumped back as she whirled toward the front doors of the castle, her skirts whipping around her in a wide circle. As she rushed off toward them with Konoha and Yukie trailing behind, Daichi took the chance to step closer to Kuroo, grasping his arm gently.

“I am so sorry about all of this. Are you okay?”

“Yeah… No, I’m just really confused. And a little stunned. It’s a lot to take in, especially after seeing you hugging a woman I didn’t know.”

Daichi winced. “God, that’s the _worst_. I really can’t apologize to you enough for having to deal with that. If I had known she’d be here, I would have definitely mentioned her.”

“You already said that. Why didn’t you ever tell me about her?”

“I haven’t seen her since I was a child, not in person, anyways. Father threw her out of the kingdom after a disagreement and it’s been a struggle even keeping up with her in letters, which neither of us gets to send very often.”

“He threw his own little sister out over a disagreement?”

Daichi shrugged. “Welcome to the Sawamura family.”

Surprisingly, that _did_ explain a lot. As much as he teased Daichi over being stubborn and quick to anger, he had nothing over his own father. Thinking back to just a few moments before when Daichi and his aunt stared each other down, Kuroo finally cracked a small smile, seeing the familial resemblance between the two.

“So, she’s the king’s younger sister? That’s surprising, she seems so young.”

“She’s not as young as she appears, but she is a lot younger than him. She was a young girl when I was born.” Daichi’s gaze slid away as he fell into memory, a smile rising on his lips. “Age-wise she should have been more like an older sister or cousin to me, but she’s still the only mother I’ve ever known.”

Kuroo’s chest tightened as the last piece of the puzzle snapped into place. The sheer joy that had been emanating from Daichi as he hugged her… Kuroo could only imagine how he’d feel if his own mother suddenly walked into the room after all the years of separation. 

“Still, I’m surprised you never mentioned her.”

“I know, and I’m sorry. Of course, I never forgot about her, but there was no chance that we could be a part of each other's lives anymore. At least not until Father’s heart softened toward her a little.” Daichi scoffed. “So, maybe in a hundred years. My life now, the daily habits and responsibilities, the people closest to me,” his voice lowered slightly as his gaze lifted to Kuroo’s face, “it’s easy to get wrapped up in it all. It’s not often you and I talk about what happened before we met.”

Kuroo nodded. “I guess I can understand that. I really didn’t think you had a life before you met me.”

A comment like that would have earned him a firm punch on the arm before, but this time Daichi chuckled. “Contrary to what you thought, I _did_ live before you came along. I will admit that it’s been better since, though.”

Kuroo’s face warmed at the sentiment, but he tried keeping his face stern. “Are you just trying to butter me up when I’m mad at you?”

“I just figured that considering the situation, it would be best to be more honest with you.” Daichi’s smile slid away as he considered Kuroo thoughtfully. “Are you really mad at me?”

Running his fingers through his hair, Kuroo sighed. “I don’t know. I think I’m still absorbing all this new information.”

Daichi nodded slowly and glanced over his shoulder. Kuroo followed his gaze and spotted Daichi’s aunt Miyu coming back through the doors, pulling a man along as he struggled with some luggage. He was a bit older than her and based on first impressions, he seemed to be the quiet studious type, the complete opposite of the firecracker beside him. Although she had completely forgotten about him earlier, Miyu now seemed entirely amorous as she glanced from him to Daichi.

“Ah, that’s her husband, Lord Arisawa,” Daichi whispered, an innocent excitement edging his voice. “From what she’s said in her letters, he’s a very kind man but also rather brilliant. Considering that my aunt has always been a rambunctious flirt, I’m glad she’s chosen a man who seems devoted to her and their future. I honestly thought it would be years before I ever had the chance to meet him if even that.”

“Well,” Kuroo said gently, giving Daichi a warm smile, “you should go introduce yourself. We only have one more day left, after all, and we should make the most of it.”

Daichi smiled back at him and squeezed his arm. As he released him, Daichi trotted across the foyer toward his aunt and uncle with Kuroo trailing behind. 

“Finally!” Miyu cried joyfully, her dress rustling as she hopped in place. “The two most important men in my life get to meet!” 

Lord Arisawa’s cheeks were tinged pink as he beamed down at her. “What about your older brother?”

As quickly as a breath could blow out a candle, Miyu’s smile dropped and a cold glare took over her face. “What _about_ him?”

“O-Oh, never mind, my dear.” He nervously cleared his throat and turned toward Daichi, giving a slight bow. “It is a great honor to finally meet you, your Majesty. I’ve heard nothing but the highest praises of you.”

“The honor is all mine, but please call me Daichi. We are family now, after all.”

“Ah, yes, that’s true. And you can call me whatever you like, Arisawa, Chikayoshi, Chika… Uncle Chika,” he added sheepishly, rubbing the back of his head. 

Kuroo watched as Daichi pressed his lips tight in an attempt not to grin, and his hands gripped hard on his belt. Covering his mouth, Kuroo snorted quietly, knowing that Daichi was trying his hardest not to pat his new uncle on his head. He had the same expression on his face whenever he came across a dog he’d never met, holding himself back from cuddling it since not every dog was the type to snuggle with his master in bed. 

“I would love to refer to you as my uncle,” Daichi assured him and immediately tears rose in Chikayoshi’s eyes.

“Aw, darling!” Miyu laughed, wrapping her arms around his arms and giving him a tight squeeze. “I told you Daichi was sweet and polite, didn’t I? Nothing like his ass of a father.”

Daichi sighed and shook his head. Suga, on the other hand, laughed loudly and shared an impish smile with Kuroo. It was bizarre to hear anyone speak so harshly against their king, especially in public. He kept everyone’s lives under so tight a hold that Kuroo nearly glanced over his shoulder to make sure he wasn’t actually standing right behind them, listening to the insubordination. 

“Anyways,” Miyu continued, waving her hand in front of her, “let’s be off to our suite so we can have a more private chat… and another particular introduction,” she added, leaning around her husband to catch Kuroo’s eye. As his cheeks warmed from the sudden attention, Miyu giggled mischievously. “Yukie, Akinori! Would you be so kind as to show us to our room?”

“It would be my pleasure, my Lady,” Konoha purred as he bowed low.

Yukie rolled her eyes at him but flashed a polite smile at Miyu. “Of course! The servants already brought your things up, so we can head up whenever you like. It’s just across the hall from Prince Daichi’s actually.”

“Excellent! By the way, my dear, why are you holding that giant case?”

Chikayoshi startled and looked down at his hand that seemed to be turning white from the strain of holding the heavy luggage. “It’s my supplies! So many delicate instruments inside, I would perish if any of them broke. Some are very hard to find, you know.”

Miyu sighed heavily. “A strong servant would probably handle it more carefully than you! Well, good luck lugging it up the stairs. I’m going ahead with my nephew.”

Konoha and Yukie snickered as she abandoned her husband and slipped her arm through Daichi’s, pulling him toward the staircase that led up to their rooms. As everyone began migrating in that direction, Kuroo watched apprehensively for a moment as Chikayoshi struggled with the large case.

“Um, my Lord? I’m Daichi’s personal servant, Kuroo. Would you like me to help you with that?”

Chikayoshi paused and gave him a bright smile. “No, thank you! Fragile items inside, you must understand. Can’t trust anyone but myself.”

“Of course… There _are_ a couple different handles on the case though. Maybe I can take one side and you can have the other?”

“Oh! I didn’t even notice that, well spotted! Yes, I think that would be an excellent compromise. Thank you, Kuroo-kun!” 

Kuroo sighed with immense relief as Chikayoshi dropped the case gently on the floor, allowing him to take up one of the handles. Even then, he could feel how heavy it was and knew that the poor man would have never made it up the stairs on his own, at least not without breaking the entire contents of the case.

“If you don’t mind me asking, what kinds of things are inside?” Kuroo asked, his curiosity overpowering him.

“Many different types of instruments, mostly scientific. Miyu teased me for bringing them along, but I knew that this trip was to be a long one since we’ll be visiting the entire breadth of the Fukurodani kingdom before returning home…”

Kuroo’s eyes widened, his sudden excitement sending goosebumps across his skin. “Scientific?”

“Indeed! I am an alchemist by profession, and it is impossible for me to stop experimenting, even while traveling. Every land we visit has a plethora of metals, minerals, and other compounds that our home does not possess.” He paused in his explanation as his eyebrows pinched together. “Oh, I hope my other luggage will be taken to our room safely. They may not contain my instruments, but my books and notes are just as important for keeping a detailed list of steps for each experiment.”

“I wouldn’t worry about that. The servants here in Fukurodani seem to be cautious and efficient.”

“Ah, that is a relief.”

“So, you are truly an alchemist? I have never met one in person.”

Chikayoshi laughed. “I am not surprised that there are none in Karasuno. Alchemy is too closely related to magic for your king’s comfort. It does, in fact, intertwine occasionally.”

“What do you use it for primarily?”

“Many things! It is both a blessing and a curse that I am extremely broadminded and find everything interesting. For example, I recently created a metal compound that is highly combustible but much safer to transport the various ingredients, so if our kingdom should ever go to war, it could be used as a weapon for our knights to use without getting hurt or killed themselves.”

“Ah, what kingdom would that be?”

“Aoba Johsai! Of course, we live far outside the capital city, but the royal family relies on me for a great many things and is my chief patron.”

Kuroo grimaced, but luckily Chikayoshi didn’t notice as they were finally nearing the top of the stairs. Out of all the kingdoms, he knew that Karasuno had the most fragile relationship with Aoba Johsai and knowing that they had both magic and other incredible weapons at their disposal didn’t bode well for them. Daichi told him earlier that he had a very good talk with King Ushijima, but he hadn’t had time to explain how it went with the prince of Aoba Johsai.

“For a servant, you seem rather interested in this subject!” Chikayoshi said enthusiastically, stirring him from his thoughts.

“Oh! Yes, well, I’m not just a servant. I’m also the apprentice to the court physician of Karasuno, so you could say that I have a curious and scientific mind myself.”

Chikayoshi’s eyes grew wide. “That’s wonderful! I dabble a little with medicines myself. Your mentor is Ukai Ikkei, correct? I have read some of his chronicles on surgical techniques, quite a genius himself. You are very lucky to be learning from him!”

“I am,” Kuroo agreed with a wide grin. 

“You must be busy being his apprentice _and_ being the prince’s servant.”

“It’s exhausting. It takes a lot of work keeping Daichi out of trouble.”

Chikayoshi laughed, much to Kuroo’s relief. He realized after the fact that he shouldn’t have been relaxing his speech so much, especially since he was a servant and Chikayoshi was technically a lord. But there was something about the older man that relaxed him, most likely his mild-temperament and lack of snobbish tendencies which set him apart from the other nobles he’d seen.

“I have a little interest in genetics, Kuroo-kun, and if my suspicions are correct, Daichi and Miyu may have some of the same tendencies. I understand completely,” he finished with a mournful sigh. Even then, he glanced at Kuroo from the corner of his eye and gave him a playful wink. 

Kuroo chuckled. He had been wondering how such a sweet, quiet man dealt with Miyu’s spirit and ability to become instantly enraged, but it seemed that he also had a very good sense of humor. It amused him, thinking that perhaps they had a similar balance that he and Daichi had although it wouldn’t seem so at first glance.

“Ah, looks like we’re here,” Chikayoshi said, nodding at the open door with Konoha and Yukie hovering outside of it. 

Konoha grinned as they shuffled closer. “I’m glad you made it safely, my Lord. We’re off to bed, otherwise, we’ll sleep through the wedding tomorrow and we’ll never hear the end of it.”

“Good night!” Yukie chirped, and they both patted Kuroo’s shoulder as they left them on their own. 

Carefully, Kuroo and Chikayoshi maneuvered the case inside the room. Kuroo spotted Daichi and Miyu huddled together at the table with some tea already in hand. Suga had snagged one of the comfortable armchairs by the fire and had a cup of tea as well, looking like he was already off duty. 

Kuroo huffed out a laugh when Daichi and Miyu didn’t stir from their hushed conversation, but he kept his focus on helping Chikayoshi lug the case onto a nearby side table. Once they had safely set it down, he peeked back over his shoulder at the pair. Daichi was in the middle of telling a story while his aunt listened rapturously. She frowned at one point and licked her thumb, immediately rubbing it across Daichi’s upper cheek to wipe off some lipstick he had missed earlier.

Daichi grimaced and tried swatting her away. “Aunt Miyu!”

“Don’t mind me. Keep telling me about Kiyoko. I’m so furious that this whole time I could have been a proper mother figure to her, but that bastard just keeps her all to himself. Hmph, some father he is.”

Daichi sighed again. Kuroo smirked and turned back to Chikayoshi who had opened his case to inspect the contents.

“They really are like mother and son.”

Chikayoshi hummed thoughtfully. “Yes, they truly are. Miyu hasn’t had it easy since her banishment. There were no relatives to assist her, and most of her connections were in Karasuno since the king had already begun closing himself off from the other kingdoms. Luckily, she found some sympathy with a few nobles here in Fukurodani and they took her into their home and raised her fully into adulthood. But still, family can be difficult to replace and I think that as much as she despises the king, she will always hope for reconciliation. Daichi is the only relative she has left that seems to care about her and vice versa.”

His final comment caught Kuroo slightly off guard. Naturally, he had no love for the king, not when he’d seen how the druids were forced to live, families constantly on the move to avoid the king’s guards. Not when he’d been raised hearing stories about what the king did to those he caught using magic, and how that would be his fate if he were ever discovered himself. 

Even when it came to his own son, the king seemed callous and unemotional. Sometimes he treated him as nothing more than a tool, sending him out into the kingdom to take care of precarious situations in his stead. But the more time Kuroo spent at the castle, the more he was able to observe the king in quiet moments when his guard wasn’t up. He’d seen little flickers of affection in his eyes as he watched Daichi and more often a burst of pride. It wasn’t anything compared to the way Miyu seemed to be doting on him, but it was still there.

Kuroo blinked as his attention was snatched away by Chikayoshi as he pulled various glass flasks and tools from his case and laid them out on the table. Some of them were oddly sinister for being handled by such a sweet man, a man who hummed cheerfully as he focused purely on his work. 

“Chika! Stop fiddling with that stuff and get over here. I thought you were excited to get to know your nephew.”

Chikayoshi startled and whirled around, wringing his hands with guilt. “Oh, I’m so sorry, Daichi. I get a little consumed with my work sometimes.”

Daichi stifled a laugh and his eyes flickered to Kuroo as he said, “Don’t worry, I’m used to it.”

Kuroo narrowed his eyes at him, which only seemed to amuse Daichi more. The look between them, however, didn’t go unnoticed by Miyu as she cleared her throat.

“You too, Kuroo Tetsurou,” she cooed with an intense gleam in her eye. “I’d like to hear all about _you_ and your relationship with Daichi.”

Kuroo gulped but did as he was told, taking the seat next to Daichi as Chikayoshi obediently sat next to his wife. Before she could start her interrogation, however, Daichi picked up the teapot and began to pour the contents into two more cups. Miyu seemed incredulous as he slid one cup toward Chikayoshi and the other toward Kuroo. 

“Your father would probably explode if he saw you serving tea to your servant instead of the other way around.”

Daichi froze as he stared at Kuroo’s teacup. “Oh, I didn’t even realize it. I mean, Kuroo really does help me with most things but since we’ve taken to eating our meals together, we don’t exactly follow the rules.”

“It’s true, my Lady,” Kuroo said, taking the cup and bringing it to his smirking lips. “You should see Daichi attempt to dress himself without any assistance.”

Daichi scowled back at him, looking like he was about to splash the steaming contents of his cup in Kuroo’s face. Miyu, on the other hand, giggled with delight.

“Has he really not improved at that? I remember the maids chasing him down the hallway once with his trousers on his head. And he forgot to put on his undergarments as well,” she added quietly over the rim of her teacup.

“I was a child!”

Kuroo bit his bottom lip hard to keep from laughing, but he was enjoying Daichi’s frustration too much. “Like fifteen years old?”

Daichi turned his furious gaze to him and growled, “ _Four_.”

“Alright, I have had enough waiting,” Miyu stated, waving her hand in front of Daichi’s face. “You two are obviously close. What is your relationship?”

“I really am his servant,” Kuroo explained and Daichi calmed down and drank his tea. “For nearly two years now. I originally came to the castle to be Ukai-san’s apprentice, but after saving Daichi’s life, the King ordered me to be his personal manservant as well.”

“Ah, I see,” Miyu mused, giving Daichi a mischievous look. “He must be intelligent as well.”

Daichi wrinkled his nose. “He can definitely be a smart ass.” As Miyu laughed at his jab, Daichi smiled and rubbed the back of his neck. “It didn’t start off very smoothly because of that, but eventually I came to value his honesty. We continued to grow closer and then eventually I realized that what I felt for him was even deeper than friendship. For some time now, Tetsu’s been my lover.”

Miyu’s eyes brightened at the revelation, a reaction that soothed Kuroo’s worries that she wouldn’t accept the relationship. “I thought that’s what it was! I mean, I figured from your letters that you were in love with someone. To think it was your servant and a man at that. Ha! That bastard would seriously croak if he ever found out… Daichi,” she said, her demeanor becoming serious, “your father _doesn’t_ suspect, does he?”

Daichi shook his head. “Not a chance. If he did, he’d probably do something to separate us immediately, especially considering how hard he’s working to get me married. As much as I’d like to be honest with him, keeping Tetsu safe is more important to me.”

Miyu frowned. “Yes, there’s no telling what he’d do to him if he found out. Kuroo, can I ask you something?”

“Of course, my Lady.”

“What do you think of magic?”

Kuroo stiffened at the question and glanced at Daichi. As Daichi smiled and nodded back, Kuroo turned back to Miyu who seemed extremely patient as she waited for his answer, resting her chin on her hand. There was nothing accusing in her tone or expression and considering her closeness with Daichi as opposed to his father, he decided to be honest.

“I think magic can be very good, but also very bad. It entirely depends on the person wielding it, in my opinion. I grew up in Nekoma and the druids used to visit frequently while they traveled from place to place to avoid the king’s guards. They’re an extremely peaceful group of people that magic comes as natural to as breathing, and they typically use it to improve life for everyone. But there are others who use it for more selfish and cruel reasons, as we’ve both experienced quite a lot this past year,” Kuroo added, sharing a sad smile with Daichi.

“I agree with you completely,” Miyu said with a firm nod. “It’s for that reason that I’ve been thrown out of my true home because, although magic is not to be taken for granted, it is not inherently evil as my elder brother says and I vehemently opposed the way he punished those who used it for innocent means. Would you believe it if I told you that when I was younger, not only was magic permitted in Karasuno but revered almost as much as it was in Fukurodani? As a matter of fact, my brother was constantly amazed by magic and often wished he could wield it himself.”

Kuroo’s eyebrows shot up. “I mean, I believed that magic was once allowed because my fath— um, the dragon lord was once more respected. And Ukai-san used to use magic as well as practical medicine when healing until it was banned. But I had no idea the king himself admired it. I have to admit that it’s difficult to believe.”

Miyu smiled. “When I was very young and our parents were still alive, we would have such magnificent festivals with mages from all different lands attending to show off their skills and sell their wares. With our attendants, my brother would always take me to see them, perching me on his broad shoulders so I could see everything. I swear he was just as excited as I was,” she laughed as her eyes welled up with tears. “He was like a completely different person back then, a lot like Daichi is but perhaps even more innocent.”

“What changed?” Kuroo asked and Miyu immediately grimaced, her lips pressing tight as she glanced at Daichi. Kuroo followed her gaze to find Daichi waiting as anxiously as he was to find out the answer.

“Can’t you tell us, Aunt Miyu? I’m a grown man and I’m exhausted from being kept in the dark. There are people in other kingdoms who know more about my father than I do, which is ridiculous. I have a right to know.”

“You do,” she said, nodding. “But I’m not certain it should come from me.” When Daichi huffed out an exasperated sigh, Miyu smiled reassuringly and reached out to stroke his hair. “I know, darling, and I wish I could just spill everything. I’m not as wise or mature as other women I know, but I know enough to realize that me giving my side of the story would only make you biased. If you brought the information I gave you to your father and confronted him about it, he would only be defensive about it and harden his heart even more. From what you’ve told me in your letters, I feel certain that he’s been taking you more seriously and would listen to you. If you still have no luck coaxing the truth out of him by our next meeting, I give you my word that I’ll tell you everything, okay?”

Daichi wrinkled his nose before slowly nodding. Kuroo could sense his overwhelming disappointment and it pained him to see it. He knew exactly how it felt to have his closest relations be a complete mystery to him and it was even more frustrating that Miyu had all the answers and could easily give that information to Daichi. But at the same time, Kuroo knew in his gut that Miyu was right, knowing both Daichi and the king and how they would react in that situation. 

Kuroo couldn’t resist reaching beside him and rubbing Daichi’s back comfortingly. Immediately, he felt Daichi’s muscles relax and he naturally leaned further into his touch. Even some of the tightness in his expression eased as he nodded more firmly to his aunt.

“I trust that you know what’s best, Aunt Miyu. Hopefully, I won’t have to wait much longer to find out the truth.”

Miyu’s smile was warm as she eyed Kuroo’s hand on Daichi’s back and then gazed back at her nephew. “You’ve grown so much, dear, I’m so proud of you. And I can’t tell you what is a relief it is to see you so well cared for.”

Her mischievous disposition was making a reappearance as she glanced at Kuroo but before his ears could turn _too_ hot, a loud snore next to him startled everyone at the table. He had almost forgotten that Chikayoshi was also with them, though seeing his head nodding as his body slumped forward explained why he had been so quiet. Miyu started to giggle and quickly stifled it before she woke him up.

“My poor Chika, he’s so exhausted from the journey. I am sorry that I talked so much that you’ve hardly gotten to know him, Daichi, but hopefully, you’ll have more chances tomorrow at the wedding and the banquet afterward.”

Daichi smiled back at her, dimpling his cheeks. “I’m looking forward to it. I’m sure I’ll enjoy it a lot more knowing you both will be there.”

“So will I! And Kuroo-kun, you will be there as well, won’t you?”

“At least for the wedding, I’m not sure yet if I’ll be attending the banquet afterward.”

Miyu twisted her lips and hummed. “Well, hopefully, I’ll get some time to talk with you tomorrow. I’ve always dreamed of the day Daichi would meet his one true love and I could tell them all the cute stories about his childhood.”

“I think you’ve told him enough already,” Daichi grumbled, and Kuroo couldn’t help laughing at him.

“ _I_ think I deserve it after what you put me through today with meeting potential marriage partners and embracing women I didn’t know.”

“I only had one meeting,” Daichi hissed, eyeing the slumbering Chikayoshi to make sure he hadn’t roused him.

Kuroo huffed, determined to remain indignant. “And I don’t even know how that went yet. For all I know, it was love at first sight.”

Daichi rolled his eyes. “That isn’t likely when I’m in love with someone already. If anything, it was friendship at first sight.”

“Oh!” Miyu exclaimed in an excited whisper. “Who was it that you met with, Daichi?”

“Lady Nametsu Mai.”

Miyu gasped. “I _love_ her!”

Kuroo couldn’t hold back his groan. Daichi’s hand immediately pressed against his back, however, and as Kuroo glanced at him, his understanding smile melted him down to the core.

“Let’s go back to our room, it’s been a long day.”

Giving Daichi a grateful smile, Kuroo stood up from the table and stretched with Daichi following suit. It _had_ been a long day and although he was exhausted, all Kuroo wanted was to have a calm, uninterrupted conversation with Daichi. Although he had thoroughly enjoyed the antics of the Fukurodani knights and discovering a treasure trove of knowledge, he already couldn’t wait to get back to the normalcy of their life at Karasuno.

They all offered to help Miyu put Chikayoshi to bed, but she quickly laughed them off.

“I can’t remember the last time he actually fell asleep in bed like a normal person, and I hate bothering the servants every time it happens. Besides, I’m a lot stronger than I look,” she stated with a confident smile that seemed eerily similar to her nephew’s. 

And also like her nephew, she seemed stubborn to her core as she shooed them all out of the suite, giggling in particular at Suga’s yawning. Kuroo was thankful that their own suite was just right across the hallway from Miyu’s, and it didn’t take long at all for them to file inside to greet a fresh and well-rested Asahi.

“I was starting to get worried with it being so late,” he admitted sheepishly. “I figured you’d be trying to get away from Lady Nametsu as soon as you could, Daichi.”

Casting a wary glance at Kuroo, Daichi coughed and shook his head. “We weren’t there too long, but then we ran into my aunt.”

“Lady Miyu?! How was she? I haven’t seen her in ages.” 

Kuroo grimaced. He couldn’t help but wonder how many of Daichi’s knights knew about his aunt where _he_ had no clue of her existence until two hours ago. Luckily, Suga took pity on him for once and ushered Asahi toward the door.

“Go onto your duties, I’ll fill you in tomorrow. I think these two deserve a little time alone.”

Once Asahi was positioned outside their door, Suga yawned loudly and waved at them as he dragged his feet to the room he shared with Asahi at the other end of the suite. The door shut softly behind him and _finally_ , Kuroo and Daichi were left to themselves.

Kuroo swallowed the lump in his throat, wondering where to even start. Before he could, however, Daichi turned and gazed up at him with his big, brown eyes.

“I know you’re probably still a little angry with me, but could I just—” He paused, biting his lip as he stared straight ahead at Kuroo’s shoulder. Instead of continuing, he reached out and grabbed his shirt, tugging Kuroo closer until they bumped together. Daichi sighed as he wrapped his arms around Kuroo’s waist and buried his face into the crook of his neck. “I just need a minute,” he murmured, his body relaxing as Kuroo hugged him tightly. “It’s been such a long day.”

“Yeah, it was,” he agreed softly and planted a kiss into Daichi’s hair. 

“It was extremely busy but whenever I had a chance to breathe, I missed you. There were so many times I nearly turned to you to whisper a joke to realize that you weren’t there and I felt so… lonely. It’s stupid because it was only for the day, and Suga and Asahi were with me for most of it, but it just wasn’t enough.”

Kuroo released a long, drawn out breath. “Well, now you’re making it impossible to stay mad at you.”

Daichi leaned back just enough to smile innocently at him. Slowly, he lifted himself on his toes and planted several tender kisses against Kuroo’s lips. Just as Kuroo was about to plow in for something a bit more passionate, Daichi maneuvered his lips across his face instead, peppering little kisses on his cheeks, jaw, and nose.

“Fine, but at least tell me what happened with Lady Nametsu while I get you dressed for bed.”

Daichi chuckled warmly, but obediently stepped back and started removing his clothes. It was comforting to slip back into their nightly routine although typically when they discussed the events of the day, Kuroo had been there to witness everything. He listened more intently than usual as Daichi explained that one of the rumors the knights spread about him had actually piqued Lady Nametsu’s interest and even after he had told her the rumors were false, they had an enjoyable conversation and found that they had a lot in common. In the same breath, Daichi assured him that she wasn’t interested in marrying anyone at the moment, least of all _him_.

“Honestly, I couldn’t even keep from her that I already had someone I cherished and that that person happened to be a man. I didn’t sense any hostility from her though. In fact, I’d say she was delighted to hear all about it. It was frightening how well she got along with Suga,” he added, rolling his eyes.

Kuroo snorted as he slipped Daichi’s nightshirt over his head. “I’m relieved it went well. Is it just me, or have more people in Fukurodani found out about our relationship than the whole of Karasuno?”

Daichi grimaced. “I’m afraid we’ve both been lax about it, but we haven’t been flirting more than usual, right?”

“Hmm, perhaps it’s because everyone at home has seen us grow closer as the prince and his manservant. Even the king has witnessed us teasing each other without batting an eyelash. Since everyone here hasn’t seen our progression, _all_ they see is the flirting.”

“Ah… you might be right about it. I guess all we can hope for is that no weird rumors make it back to my father.”

Kuroo grinned. “At least if he does, it’ll probably be accompanied by every other rumor about you that’s currently floating around Fukurodani.”

Daichi barked out a laugh and shook his head. He turned toward the bed and pulled back the covers, promptly crawling underneath them and allowing enough room for Kuroo next to him. As tired as he was, the open offer to slip into bed with Daichi never failed to excite him and he quickly began stripping off his own clothes. He could feel Daichi’s amused gaze on him as he tossed his clothes haphazardly to the side and yanked on a pair of sleep pants. He didn’t even bother with a shirt as he dove into the bed next to Daichi and threw the covers back over them.

The warmth of Daichi’s body embraced him as they snuggled together but as he laid his head on the pillow, he noticed Daichi watching him with a serious expression, one devoid of any sleepiness.

“What’s the matter?”

Daichi sighed and stroked his fingers through Kuroo’s hair, pulling it away from his eyes. “I still feel horrible that you suffered such a shock earlier when you saw me hugging my aunt. It wasn’t right for you to find out about her that way. I’m so sorry, Tetsu.”

“It’s okay. I know how it is when you haven’t seen her for such a long time and it’s gotten to a point where not much exists in Karasuno to remind you of her that you would have mentioned it. She seems amazing, by the way, and it’s nice to know that she doesn’t hate people who wield magic.”

“If there are any opportunities for you two to get to know each other where no one can listen in, then I have no doubt that you can trust her with your secret, Tetsu. And she would protect you and that information with her life. I think the only thing that would worry her is your proximity to my father. I should know,” he sighed, his eyes trailing away. “It’s a constant worry of mine. There are some times that I wish I could keep you somewhere safe from him, but that would also mean that we’d be apart.”

“Hey,” Kuroo murmured, cupping Daichi’s cheek. “All we can ever do is live the best life we can with the circumstances we’re given. And the _best_ life I can imagine is one lived at your side, even if it means hiding parts of myself… even if it means being in danger. You’re more important to me than any of that.”

Daichi’s expression softened with a smile, his eyes glistening as he met Kuroo’s gaze. They leaned in together, meeting in a tender kiss that warmed Kuroo’s skin better than any fire crackling in the fireplace. Their limbs naturally threaded together until their bodies fit together like one whole piece without their lips parting for even a moment. As his mind hazed in his exhaustion, he wasn’t sure if they even stopped kissing as he fell fast asleep in Daichi’s arms.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So, just as a heads up if you're one of my regular readers, I have some crazy crazy life changes happening in the next few weeks. It's nothing bad, just _crazy_ , and I will be going on an indefinite hiatus from writing. I'm capping this particular fic off at 8 chapters, so just one more, and I am going to do my best to get it finished before said life changes occur.   
> Since I began writing fanfiction a few years ago, it's really become a huge part of my life I am hoping to get back into it as soon as possible. With this story in particular, I still have a lot left to tell and I would be sad if I never finished the whole tale. But we'll see how things go. I can't even tell you how much I've appreciated everyone's support and encouragement. Even if I'm super slow to respond to comments, I treasure every single one (unless they're straight up rude, lol) and they've done so much to fuel my motivation. You guys are awesome!


	8. Chapter 8

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The final chapter of this installment!! ✧*｡٩(ˊᗜˋ*)و✧*｡

Kuroo never had many opportunities to attend weddings, particularly one of nobility, so he had little frame of reference when he accompanied Daichi, Asahi, and Suga to Bokuto’s wedding the next day. Fukurodani, he came to learn, had a few traditions that were all their own, particularly when it came to weddings of the royal family. For example, the wedding began just before midday where all the guests waited in Fukurodani’s great hall, standing in long rows stemming out from the very center of the room like sunbeams. 

The hall hummed with excited murmurs, everyone expectant to see the bride and groom. Daichi stood right in front of Kuroo at the very beginning of their row with his aunt and uncle beside him. Glancing at the other rows, Kuroo could see that Prince Oikawa and King Ushijima were also given the honor of having a front row position to the wedding, their entourages spread out behind them in a sea of maroon and aqua. As they waited for the ceremony to begin, Suga leaned in next to him to point out all the individuals he recognized since he had accompanied Daichi for most of the previous day.

Although at first glance Ushijima seemed incredibly intimidating with his stoic gaze and furs wrapped around his shoulders, Suga assured him that he and Daichi got along surprisingly well and they should definitely expect more interaction with him in the future. It was Prince Oikawa that had Suga’s lips pursing with doubt. Kuroo gazed at him across the hall, amazed at the man’s immaculate attire that seemed to be the opposite of Ushijima’s. Oikawa didn’t shy away from jewelry either as delicate rings lined his ears, one in his lip and nose, and an ornate circlet adorning his hair. 

“I doubt he and Daichi would ever be best friends,” Suga whispered so only Kuroo could hear, “but I do feel that Daichi has avoided starting any wars for the time being. There is still a lot of bad blood to clean up, and it would help greatly if the king grew a conscience about it.”

Kuroo grimaced. If the king ever had a change of heart, it would take decades to right all the wrongs, and some atrocities he’d committed could never be repaired. He was fortunate that, although his father had been banished from the kingdom, at least he still lived long enough for them to be reunited. There were many loved ones that had been killed for performing magic, and there was no bringing them back.

He was drawn out of his dark thoughts as the entire hall fell into a hush. Glancing around, he saw everyone gazing at the entrance to the Great Hall and he turned toward that direction to see Akaashi leading a grand procession and holding a pillow with Kaori’s crown placed upon it. Behind him, King Bokuto marched behind him with a proud grin and Kuroo was certain that if he puffed his chest out any further, he would bust the golden buttons that adorned his embroidered coat.

Bokuto’s most loyal knights followed behind him, all of them appearing just as proud as Bokuto and far more docile than their usual selves. As Akaashi and Bokuto went straight to the center of the Great Hall where a dais stood elevated for everyone to see, the knights positioned themselves at the start of each row, a perfect symbolism of their undying loyalty to the king. Akaashi took his place on the steps of the dais while Bokuto stood upon it, bouncing on his toes while he waited for the doors to open once again. 

“Bokuto-san, calm down. Remember, _poise_ ,” Akaashi whispered as quietly as he could, but the excellent acoustics of the hall allowed his voice to be carried throughout. He cringed as soft chuckles scattered throughout, but luckily for him, Bokuto took a deep breath and stopped fidgeting. 

As the doors opened once again to the Great Hall, a collective gasp flowed across each row in waves. Kaori stepped forth down the aisle, her expression set in a determined smile as her hands lifted the front of her dress to keep herself from tripping on it. Her hair was pulled back part way while the rest flowed over her shoulders and back in whimsical ringlets. Kuroo had no interest in fashion personally, but even he could admire the workmanship of her gown, white underneath with golden embroidery flowing throughout. 

It wasn’t until she passed where Kuroo was standing that he could see the most exquisite part of her dress. From her shoulders, a cape flowed back like a train. The material seemed light and airy as it rippled over the glossy tiled floor, but it was the pattern on the back that had Kuroo’s jaw dropping along with everyone else present. The cape itself was white like Kaori’s dress, but a gold sheen in the shape of feathers spread across it like a pair of giant folded wings. Kuroo almost wished he could perform a little magic to help the wings emerge from the material and help Kaori fly.

She stopped just in front of the dais and gave an elegant bow. Bokuto preened and stretched out his hands, waiting patiently for her to rise and grasp them. From there, the priest stood on the steps next to Bokuto on the opposite side of Akaashi. It wasn’t a very long ceremony, no time wasted on long speeches that would bore the audience to sleep. Instead, the vows were longer and more meaningful, both stating their devotion to each other and to the kingdom of Fukurodani. 

When the vows were finished, Bokuto released Kaori’s hands and turned toward Akaashi who gave him a radiant smile as he presented the pillow in his hands. Bokuto beamed back at him and plucked the crown off the pillow. Turning back to Kaori, Bokuto bit his lip as he carefully placed the crown on her head, using far more gentleness than Kuroo would have thought he possessed. Once it was nestled in place, Kaori rose and Bokuto took her hands once again, helping her all the way onto the dais.

Spread around the perimeter of the hall were musicians who all began to play beautiful, enchanting music as the couple stood on the top platform together. Bokuto’s smile edged on the mischievous smile as he wrapped his arm around her waist and pulled her into a soft kiss. It caught Kuroo by surprise when a warm beam of light fell around them, causing all the gold in their clothing to glitter. He glanced up and saw a large, circular window being unveiled by unseen servants, releasing the light of the sun to bathe the couple in light almost like a blessing from the gods. 

As if that wasn’t mesmerizing enough, hundreds of delicate pink petals began drifting from the beams surrounding the window. Bokuto and Kaori laughed as they rained all over them, settling in their hair and clothing as an extra adornment. Akaashi and the priest had already stepped away from the dais to avoid being showered themselves and led the audience in a cheer, a rousing chant of _Long live the King! Long live the Queen!_

As the chanting died and the hall was filled with excited chatter, Miyu turned to the side and leaned toward them all, her eyes dancing and glistening with tears. 

“It’s one of my favorite traditions of Fukurodani, the raining sakura blossoms,” she explained just loud enough for them to hear. “It doesn’t matter if you’re a royal or a peasant, it’s customary to toss the petals over the newly married couple, a hopeful blessing that the pair will never part. It’s so romantic,” she sighed, straightening back to lean into Chikayoshi’s side. 

Kuroo smiled at the sentiment but he felt a tug on his heart as he pulled his attention back to the couple. They were beginning their descent from the dais with triumphant music accompanying them. All the knights filtered behind them with wide grins and the priest wandered behind them. Akaashi alone lingered by the dais and though his smile was genuine, Kuroo couldn’t help but think it seemed a little sad as well. 

The expression was gone in the blink of an eye, however, as the hall quieted down and Akaashi slipped back into his role, allowing certain guests to leave in their private groups to avoid a chaotic mass exodus. Given Daichi’s status, their group was one of the first to leave to head toward the banquet hall. Kuroo smiled as he trailed after the group, listening to Miyu’s excited chatter as she walked arm and arm with her husband and Daichi. 

As they walked past the staircase that led toward their suites, however, Kuroo slowed down his pace and frowned up the curved steps. He had been personally invited to both the wedding and the banquet by Bokuto, and he knew that Daichi would want to have him there as well. As much as he wanted to enjoy the party with everyone, however, his heart was pulling him back up to his quarters where stacks of spell books were still waiting for him to peruse and his freedom to explore his magical abilities was quickly waning since they were leaving for Karasuno in the morning. 

“Tetsu?” Daichi called, and Kuroo startled, noticing that the others had walked quite a ways before realizing that he wasn’t with him. The group waited where they were while Daichi walked back towards him, his face set with a serious gaze. “Are you coming with us, or…” he trailed off, his sad, brown eyes glancing up the staircase. 

Kuroo ran his hand through his hair, feeling his heart break over Daichi’s expression. “I was thinking that my evening would be better spent up in the room, but if you really want me to come to the banquet, you know I’ll come. You’re more important than any of that.”

Daichi sighed and shook his head. “No, I know what all of that means to you. Plus, if you come with me, you’ll just have to act like a servant the whole time and that wouldn’t be much fun for you.”

“I am a servant, Daichi,” he chuckled.

“You know what I mean. Just make sure you get something to eat, okay?”

“I will, your _Majesty_ ,” he stressed with a grin, bowing low as the group from Aoba Johsai passed by them. 

Daichi rolled his eyes with a smile, but it faded as he started to turn away. “I’ll see you later.”

As Daichi rejoined the group, Kuroo frowned as he watched them walk away, his chest gripping slightly. He couldn’t help but wonder if he had made the right choice. The rumors from the previous day may have faded and in a setting such as a banquet where there was wine and dancing, it may be the perfect place for Daichi to get attacked by status-chasing ladies. Even if that wasn’t the case, his initial excitement for accompanying Daichi to Fukurodani was to spend time with Daichi without his father looking over his shoulder, and they’d hardly been together at all. 

Sighing heavily, Kuroo turned and headed up the stairs. He had already made his choice and he’d look like a fool chasing after Daichi by that point. There was a chance that Daichi wouldn’t stay long at the party anyways since he never cared for them much, but when he recalled that Miyu and Chikayoshi were there as well, he realized that it wasn’t likely. Not only that, but Daichi’s personal mission was to establish a good rapport with the other kingdoms, and the banquet was the perfect setting to do that. 

When he finally made it to their suite and slipped into his personal quarters, it felt far colder and more confined than it had earlier that day without Konoha and Yukie there to brighten it up. Those two were most likely getting into some mischief down at the party, and Kuroo smiled sadly as he tried picturing it. Just another thing he was missing out on for deciding to shut himself up in his room.

Kuroo shook his head and sat down on one of the little beds, pulling a few books toward him. He had made his decision and he really _would_ be wasting his time if he just moped the whole evening instead of learning some new magic. Plucking the one from the top, he was surprised to find that it wasn’t a spell book but more on magical concepts, specifically Magic’s tie to nature and one’s environment. It was something he was certain that Konoha had studied, knowing his particular gifts, and he eagerly cracked it open. Not everything he learned needed to be practical, after all.

—

The large banquet hall was buzzing with excitement while everyone waited for the festivities to begin. All the tables were spread around the perimeter of the room, leaving a great space in the center for the dancing and from what Daichi had heard, _that_ would be one of the main events. Personally, he was more excited about the food and he winced as his stomach gurgled loudly at the thought. Luckily, Suga and his aunt were too preoccupied with Lady Nametsu next to them to hear it, and Chikayoshi and Asahi were more polite than the other two to mention it.

He had been hoping that Kuroo would change his mind about staying in the suite all evening, but he didn’t blame him either given the circumstances. Still, even if Kuroo would have to act as a servant, just having him nearby would have made the whole evening more enjoyable. As Chikayoshi went into great detail about his work to Asahi, Daichi pretended to pay attention as he started to daydream about what it would be like if he was allowed to be open about his relationship with Kuroo. 

He grinned, imagining what would be like to participate in the dances with Kuroo slinking around him with that grin of his. Daichi had no doubt that Kuroo didn’t know any of the moves that _he_ had drilled in him since birth, but he was certain that, with his cat-like grace and adaptability, he would catch onto them quickly. If anything, it would probably spark a little competition between them and Daichi had to hide his grin at the thought of how _that_ would turn out.

It seemed silly, but more than anything he wanted people to know that he belonged to someone, and vice versa. Even though it hadn’t even been a year since they’ve been together as lovers, it didn’t feel right to consider them anything other than a set. It felt almost as if he was lying the whole weekend as he met new confidants and made new friends without also turning to Kuroo and introducing him as well. Although it was dangerous, it was a slight relief that Bokuto, Akaashi, and his knights all knew everything about the two of them and accepted it wholeheartedly.

Daichi startled when the doors to the hall opened and the music swelled triumphantly. Everyone jumped to their feet and cheered as Bokuto strutted into the room with his chest puffed out like a proud bird with Kaori’s arm wrapped in his. Daichi beamed as the couple laughed and soaked in the energy around them, not stopping until they arrived at the table at the very front of the hall. Akaashi followed closely behind them, his lips spread in a wide smile. 

Bokuto and Kaori split apart only when they stood in front of their elaborate thrones behind the table and remained standing as Akaashi situated himself between them. Stretching his arms up, Akaashi quieted the entire hall and motioned for everyone to sit down. When Bokuto and Kaori remained standing with impish smiles on their faces, Akaashi spared them both a confused glance but shook it off quickly to address everyone else.

“Greetings friends from near and far. We are here to celebrate the glorious union of King Bokuto Koutarou and Queen Kaori!” Akaashi paused as the hall erupted in another round of applause and cheers. “May their reign together be long and resilient, filled with more joys than sorrows, and one that will prove the worth of our great nation for generations to come.”

His smile spread wider as the hall went wild, and he waited patiently for everyone to calm down before continuing. Meanwhile, Daichi noticed Bokuto and Kaori inching closer to Akaashi on either side, exchanging mischievous glances around him. Not only that, but their hands were clenched tightly behind their backs, hiding something within them.

“And now, we welcome you to feast to your heart’s content and enjoy the dancing, um, afterwards…” Akaashi trailed off, finally noticing that both Bokuto and Kaori were pressed against his sides. He opened his mouth to say something to them, but he never had the chance as Bokuto nodded to Kaori and they both threw their hands up in the air. Akaashi hunched his shoulders and looked up, his mouth dropping as hundreds of pink blossoms showered over the trio. 

Daichi gasped as he realized the implication of it, as did the rest of the hall before they all laughed and cheered even louder than before. Once the blossoms had settled over them, no longer obscuring them from view, Daichi could see Akaashi’s stunned face turning bright red and tears glimmering in his eyes. Bokuto laughed and wrapped him up tightly in his arms as Kaori hugged him close from behind, resting her cheek against Akaashi’s back. 

As Akaashi began to weep into Bokuto’s shoulder, Bokuto grinned at the rest of the assembly. “He won’t stop crying for a while. Let’s eat!”

There was scattered laughter and clapping while many of the guests wiped their own eyes. There wasn’t any doubt in Daichi’s mind that nearly everyone knew about the relationship between Bokuto and Akaashi, and now Kaori as well. His heart swelled with joy for them that they had figured themselves out and could live the way they wanted while fulfilling their duties. If only his own situation could be figured out so well. 

At the thought of Kuroo, Daichi’s smile faded quickly. Asahi noticed it immediately as he leaned into his side. 

“What’s the matter?”

“Oh, sorry. I’m so happy for them but I just wish Tetsu could have been here to see it.”

Asahi hummed. “I didn’t think about that. He definitely would have enjoyed it.”

“That just means _you’ll_ have to tell him all about it,” Chikayoshi said, smiling good naturedly at him from across the table.

Daichi chuckled and nodded. “Yeah, I guess you’re right.”

“I do sympathize with you though, Daichi, that it seems you’ve found someone rather similar to myself. I can’t tell you how often that I lose track of the time in my laboratory with my work and studies while poor Miyu is left to entertain herself or some visitors. She does get cross with me occasionally, but there is some benefit to such situations, if you can believe it.”

Daichi cocked his head at his uncle, so engrossed in the subject that he didn’t notice the servants bringing food to the table. “Is that so? It certainly doesn’t feel very good at the moment.”

Chikayoshi laughed. “I know, and I apologize on behalf of young Kuroo. I do not know much about relationships, that’s more of a subject that Miyu is an expert of, but there are some things that I have observed over the years. When two people who love each other do not spend any time apart, eventually they take each other for granted. They end up spending less time talking than those who are separated! 

“When a couple spends a little time apart, either with distance or their different interests, it gives them a chance to reflect as they miss their partner’s presence. You learn about the little things that you’ve grown to love over your time together. For instance, even if I tend to lose track as Miyu tells me her stories, I find peace in the sound of her voice and feel joy in the excitement of her tone. And that’s just one of the things, but I’m sure that you can relate, can you not?”

Daichi blinked at the question and considered it for a moment. He remembered that he was _just_ thinking about Kuroo before the conversation began and how they always manage to get competitive with each other, a trend that never failed to excite him. Besides that, there were a hundred different moments that he remembered from the day before of him wishing Kuroo had been with him and imagining the joke that he would make that would inevitably make him laugh even when he knew he shouldn’t. In the quiet moments, as well, his body felt cold and incomplete without Kuroo’s body next to him or his hand pressed against his lower back. 

He smiled as he gazed up at his uncle, feeling overwhelmingly grateful for the man and his wisdom. “Yes, I see what you mean. Thank you, Uncle Chika. You’ve definitely helped ease some of my anxiety.”

Chikayoshi blushed and sputtered as he quickly snatched up his wine glass to hide it. Daichi laughed and finally turned down to his plate, breathing in the heavenly aroma of the steaming food below him. As he brought the first bite toward his mouth, however, Suga snatched his hand and pulled it toward himself instead, snatching the food with his teeth. 

“Suga! What the hell?!”

His _friend_ snickered as he chewed his food and swallowed it quickly. “I’m doing my job! It’s only appropriate for us to try your food before you do in case it’s poisoned.”

Before Daichi could protest, Suga reached in front of him and sampled the rest of the items on his plate. He watched with a growing temper as Suga continued eating his food and not suffering any ailments as a result.

“If you don’t stop eating my food, you won’t need any poison to be killed.”

Suga shrugged and waved him off. “That should be sufficient anyway. Enjoy it!”

Daichi clicked his tongue but he didn’t waste any more time as he finally got a taste of his food. His irritation melted away quickly as he filled his stomach with delicious food and sampled the fine Fukurodani wine, after Suga had an inappropriately sized gulp of it first, of course. By the time he leaned back in his seat with his stomach stressing the buttons down his shirt, he noticed that the other guests had already started milling around the hall and had begun to dance. 

To his left, Asahi sighed contentedly. “That was such a good meal, I’ll definitely sleep well as a result.” He turned to Daichi and smiled as he started to rise from his seat. “I should probably head up to our suite and get some rest before my guard duty tonight.”

Daichi brightened and started to stand as well. “Good idea! I’ll come with you and—”

“No chance,” Suga laughed as he grabbed onto Daichi’s shoulders and forced him back into his seat. “You have a duty to stay at least a little while before getting frisky with your lover. Besides, didn’t _you_ want another chance to speak to Oikawa and Ushijima?”

“I guess that’s true,” Daichi conceded as his shoulders slumped. He gazed up at Asahi who was waiting patiently for his decision. “Can you tell him that I need to stay a little while longer, but I’ll try not to be too late?”

Asahi smiled and gave a slight bow. “Of course. Have a nice time! And Suga, don’t go _too_ crazy tonight.”

Suga paused as he was refilling his goblet and glared back at him. “I know my limits.”

With a raised eyebrow, Asahi turned and weaved his way through the crowds to leave the hall. Daichi watched him leave and sighed, wishing he could head back for the evening as well. But it was still early yet and Suga did have a point; there was still an opportunity to connect with the other kingdoms and establish a better rapport with them. 

Scanning the room, he noticed that Oikawa was already in the center, dancing with a young lady who kept misstepping as she gazed up at him in wonder. Daichi tilted his head and smirked, seeing a crowd of similar ladies bouncing on their toes as they waited for their chance to dance with the prince themselves. As amusing at it was, he knew it would be extremely difficult to rope Oikawa into a relaxed conversation. 

Ushijima, on the other hand, was currently occupied in a conversation with Bokuto and it didn’t seem like it would be concluded anytime soon if Bokuto’s wild gestures were any indication. Daichi hummed as he glanced around the room, looking for any other practical way to spend his time before he could catch any of the other royals for a chat. 

“Come on, Daichi, don’t look so glum!” Miyu laughed, reaching across the table to lightly swat his hand. “I know you don’t care for it much, but I’ll be furious if you don’t dance with me at least once.”

Before Daichi could come up with an excuse, Lady Nametsu leaned around Suga with an excited gasp. 

“Oh yes! I need a dance with you as well, Daichi! I still have a lot of questions to ask you, mainly about that servant I saw with you earlier. The tall, dark, and handsome one,” she specified with a wink. 

Daichi winced. “Can that not be a conversation we have here at the table? It’s so comfortable, and there’s wine…”

“Nonsense, it’s easier to be overheard at the table.”

Daichi didn’t believe that for a second. Unfortunately, Miyu quickly swept out of her seat and reached her hand out toward him with a devious smile. He sighed, knowing he was beaten, and stood up to join his aunt. 

He hadn’t danced in ages and he knew it showed as he awkwardly tried to keep up with the steps. His aunt giggled and murmured reminders on what to do next as she flew around him gracefully. Luckily, the dances were extremely repetitive with their movements and it didn’t take too long to get the hang of it. 

After a few dances with her, she finally took pity on him and allowed him a break as she rushed back to their table, set on dragging her husband to the dance floor as well. Daichi maneuvered himself to the back wall outside the crowd and took a deep breath. He did want to fulfill his promise to Lady Nametsu to dance with her as well, but he was already feeling exhausted just from dancing with his aunt, mentally as well as physically.

“Oh, looks like my hiding spot is already taken,” a voice snickered behind him, and Daichi turned to see Oikawa inching toward him, crouched over to keep his head from popping above the crowd. 

Daichi swallowed the slight jealousy at the other man’s height and smiled back at him. “I guess even someone as popular as you needs a break from time to time.”

“You have no idea,” he groaned, relaxing back against the wall beside Daichi. “I enjoy dancing as much as everyone else, but I’d have more fun if I could be drinking with my men.” 

“I agree completely, except that I don’t enjoy dancing much at all.”

Oikawa smirked as he gave him a side glance. “You weren’t doing too bad out there. Better than I expected anyway. I actually hope some poor soul gets goaded into dancing with Ushiwaka. Watching _that_ would be the ultimate treat, the big goon lumbering about with some poor young woman. He’d probably use too much force and fling her into a table.”

Although it didn’t sit well with Daichi to make fun of Ushijima behind his back, he couldn’t help joining Oikawa in his laughter. It was too easy to picture the scenario himself. Still, he cleared his throat and decided to change the subject. 

“I was curious about your jewelry, Oikawa-san. Is it used for special events or do you tend to wear it every day? I noticed that you did have earrings and a nose ring yesterday, but there are a lot more today. I hope you don’t mind me asking about it.”

Oikawa sniffed and lifted his chin as if he knew that doing so would allow all his facial jewelry to catch the light and sparkle. “Our people always take pride in our appearance and love expressing our sense of fashion in many ways. What you saw me in yesterday is what I commonly wear while this much is typically used only for grand events.” His grin stretched wider as his eyes flickered over Daichi’s attire. “I suppose to someone with such simple tastes, this amount of jewelry would seem peculiar.”

Daichi pressed his lips tightly as his face flushed hot. “I’m wearing a wrist cuff,” he protested, holding it up for Oikawa to observe.

“My apologies, I didn’t notice it before,” Oikawa laughed. “But honestly, _that_ much suits you. I’m actually impressed in your sense of style; it’s not bad, although you could stand to wear some brighter colors. Perhaps you should give Ushiwaka a few tips.”

“Why not give him tips yourself?”

Oikawa huffed out a laugh and held up two fingers. “For two reasons: One being that my sense of fashion is way too high above his and any advice I give him would fly straight over that thick head of his. Two, I’d have to suffer a conversation with him, and I avoid those situations like a plague.”

“I see,” Daichi said with a chuckle. “You know, I spent a good deal of time with him yesterday and I didn’t think it was so bad. We had some very meaningful conversations.”

“About what? Swords and tree bark? That’s about all the information he can usually fit in his head.”

“Well, I suppose Shiratorizawa’s tourney and agriculture did come up as subjects quite often, but there’s a lot that we didn’t know about each other’s kingdoms, so we covered a lot of ground.” Daichi bit his lip as he glanced up at Oikawa, trying to gauge if it was safe to ask what was lingering in his mind. “I hope I’m not overstepping my bounds, but did Ushijima do something to make you hate him? It just feels more than just a casual dislike.”

Oikawa immediately stiffened at the question, but he didn’t seem angry at it either. If anything, he was just a bit more indignant than usual.

“Nothing’s ever happened between us, Sawamura. As if I would allow him to be in my presence long enough for him to offend me with more than his typical personality flaws. Ouch!” He shrieked as one of his knights came up behind him and dropped a fist on his head. “Iwa-chan, that was so rude!”

“You’re the one being rude,” the knight spat back. “Ushijima is a _king_ , a ruler of a kingdom that we’re trying to remain peaceful with. And Prince Sawamura here will be a king, so you need to respect him more as well.”

“Yeah,” sneered another one of Oikawa’s knights, a taller one with pinkish-brown hair, as he slung an arm around his shoulder. “A little forever-prince like yourself needs to suck up to the others, I’m afraid.”

Oikawa clicked his tongue. “I’m perfectly fine maintaining that role, but that doesn’t mean I need to suck up to Ushiwaka. Come on, Makki, I want to drink!”

“Aw, poor majesty’s tired of being fawned over. Let’s go fill him up with wine, Iwaizumi.”

Daichi grinned and stepped back, allowing the two knights to guide their complaining prince to another part of the hall. The third knight, however, another tall one with dark, curly hair, hung back and leaned in toward Daichi with a devilish smirk.

“If you want to know more about Oikawa’s feelings about Ushijima, just wait until he has a few more drinks in him. Then he’ll tell you _everything_. In fact, you won’t be able to get him to stop.”

The knight snickered to himself and followed after the other three while Daichi stifled a laugh to himself. With how much Oikawa had been whining about his lack of drink, he wouldn’t have to wait long at all before asking him once again. He just needed to occupy himself until then, hopefully something other than dancing. 

He praised his good fortune when he spotted Lady Nametsu still at their table with Suga by her side and a crowd of other people as well. She seemed perfectly at ease being the center of so much attention, although she didn’t quite seem like a hostess as she spoke to the others. There was more authority and questioning in her manner and with the way some people giggled and hid their faces, Daichi had a very good idea what kind of subjects they were discussing.

Since she was obviously too occupied to dance, Daichi maneuvered his way around the hall until he came upon the Shiratorizawa table. The large, burly men seated around it gave off such an intimidating aura that most of the guests seemed to be giving it a wide berth, especially since Ushijima was sitting at the center of it with his usual grim expression. With spending so much time with him yesterday, however, Daichi felt completely at ease as he came closer and greeted the king and his men. 

It wasn’t exactly a smile Ushijima gave him in return, but Daichi clearly saw his facial muscles relax as he nodded in greeting. His eyes flickered around the table, most likely looking for an empty seat, but his knight-mage with the silvery hair immediately stood up, vacating his chair directly beside Ushijima.

“You can have my seat, your Majesty,” he said cordially, giving Daichi a bow as he stepped away. “I was just about to do a quick perimeter of the hall anyways, just in case.”

Several of the other knights snickered and exchanged knowing looks, but a couple seemed just as dubious as Ushijima who nodded appreciatively at the mage.

“Good idea, Semi. We cannot be too careful.”

Semi smirked back at the king and quickly slipped away, looking like he had a particular destination in mind rather than doing a routine security check. Regardless, Daichi grateful took the seat next to Ushijima and fell into easy conversation with him and his knights. With them involved, the conversation steered more toward weaponry and combat strategies rather than agriculture, and Daichi quivered with excitement when they brought up the tourney that Shiratorizawa was planning for the next spring.

One aspect of getting to know the other royals that delighted Daichi was seeing their interactions with their knights. They all seemed to have a very similar relationship with them that Daichi had with his own knights, playful and friendly but still filled with the necessary respect it required. Had they treated their men almost like servants or slaves, Daichi wouldn’t have found it so easy to connect with them. 

Time passed quickly since Daichi was thoroughly enjoying himself, and the whole mood of the hall seemed to reflect his ease. Most of the food had been cleared away and all that was left were more bottles of wine and some decadent desserts. Most of the guests had abandoned their seats anyway to dance or mingle with others, though some preferred sitting in cozy corners and getting thoroughly drunk with one or two friends. 

“Aha!” A voice cut through their conversation like a sharpened broad sword and both Daichi and Ushijima gawked at the triumphant young lady facing them with her fists planted on her hips. 

“Lady Nametsu, would you care to join us?” Ushijima managed to say through his confusion, and Daichi was impressed by his manners under the circumstances. Why in the world did Oikawa despise him so much?

“No, thank you, your Majesty. But I would like it if you and Prince Daichi would join _me_ on the dance floor, just as you both promised. Not at the same time, of course. I’ll take you first,” she said, holding out her hand toward Ushijima as she gave Daichi a slight grin, “I trust Koushi will be able to round you up for me if you choose to hide from your obligations.”

Daichi sighed. “I am a man of my word, my Lady. You do not have to turn my _loyal_ knights against me.”

“I’ve done nothing of the sort! What Koushi does is only in your best interest.”

“I think that’s purely subjective.”

She laughed and turned her attention back toward King Ushijima, who had yet to take her hand. Daichi felt a little bad for him as his knights avoided his gaze as he seemed to find a way out of the situation. Finally, Ushijima grunted and accepted her hand as he stood up from the table.

“Very well, my Lady. Although I am sure I am not as experienced as you are at this sort of thing.”

“Of course, you’re not! It will be enjoyable, nonetheless. I’ll be right back for you, Prince Daichi!”

Daichi gave her a weak smile and watched as she dragged Ushijima toward the dance floor with a surprising amount of power. As diversely cultured as she seemed, Lady Nametsu was still from Shiratorizawa herself and he imagined that even the women of that kingdom held physical strength as a highly prized skill. Daichi snorted as he watched her boss her king around as the next dance began, and his own knights seemed to thoroughly enjoy the show as well as they twisted in their seats to watch.

True to his word, Daichi waited right where he was until Lady Nametsu returned with King Ushijima in tow. 

“Good luck, Sawamura,” he mumbled as he sat down, wiping the sweat from his wrinkled brow. 

“Thanks.”

Lady Nametsu hardly seemed winded as she bounced on her toes, waiting for him to make his way around the table. She giggled and took his hand, dragging him through the crowds toward the dance floor. On his way there, Daichi heard whispers fluttering around him, catching only a word here or there, but he could feel the full meaning. With everything happening, he had almost forgotten about all the rumors circulating yesterday and considering his new connection with Lady Nametsu, he was certain that even more would sprout as a result.

That fact didn’t bother him as much as he thought. He had a clear understanding with her and knew that she was only interested in friendship with him, making every moment spent in her company that much more relaxing. And if interacting with her kept his father off his back for a while about marriage, there was no way he could fault the situation at all.

Luckily, Lady Nametsu was just as patient a dancer as his aunt was and with the practice of the earlier dances, Daichi found it easier to slip into the movements than before. There was a lively confidence in the lady as well that was infectious and while he danced with her, Daichi couldn’t help but wish he could introduce her to Kiyoko. His poor adopted sister had a more difficult time finding friends among the nobility than even he did, and he was certain they would get along famously.

“Alright, I’m satisfied now, your Majesty,” Nametsu giggled, giving an elegant curtsy at the end of the dance. “I’ll give you freedom to sneak back to your handsome servant.”

With a wink, she sashayed to the edge of the dance floor where several people stepped forward, eager for a turn with her. Daichi smiled and quickly stepped away from the dance floor, glancing around for a particular destination. He spotted his aunt and uncle speaking to some other nobles, mainly his aunt speaking energetically while Chikayoshi listened to her with a loving smile. 

He was about to head back toward his table to find Suga when he came upon Semi, Ushijima’s knight-mage, as well as Oikawa’s, the tall one with dark curly hair. Semi had his back pressed against the stone wall which, considering his revealing uniform, must have been cold. He didn’t appear distressed at all as the other knight-mage loomed over him with a seductive smile, his hand pressed against the wall above Semi’s head.

“I really think you’re lying, Semi. I’ve been a mage most of my life and I’ve never heard of the significance of tattoos with regard to magic. I think you’re just using them to show off your _very_ excellent body.”

Semi grinned as he tipped his head up, bringing his lips closer to the other man’s. “You should know how different my magic is from yours, Matsukawa. Whether or not they need to be revealed, however, let’s just say that’s a subject of aesthetic.”

Daichi winced and looked for an opening in the crowd. It was obvious that he was intruding on a mating dance of sorts between the other two, and he knew first-hand how irritating it was to have those disrupted. As he huffed at the lack of space, however, Matsukawa spotted him and immediately straightened up without moving further away from Semi.

“Ah, your Majesty. Lost, are you?”

Daichi smiled apologetically. “It’s just a little crowded.”

“Indeed. You were thinking we should find somewhere with a little more space, weren’t you, Semi?”

Semi laughed as he playfully fingered the lapel of Matsukawa’s coat. “Does your magic include mind-reading?”

“Luckily, it does not. That would be disastrous. Anyway, if you’re looking for a destination, your Majesty, the prince of Aoba Johsai is currently drunk as a skunk and in the perfect state to rant about certain _things_. That is, if you’re in the mood for some entertainment.”

“Ah, I am. Thank you very much.”

Daichi grinned at them both as he slipped past them in the direction of the Aoba Johsai table. Before he was out of earshot, he heard Matsukawa hum behind him.

“What a fascinating prince Karasuno has. He didn’t even bat an eyelash while speaking to two mages.”

“He’s definitely not his father. He seems like a good man.”

Daichi was grateful once he was out of earshot of the pair as heat creeped up the back of his neck. It was always a good feeling to be spoken of in a positive way, but lately it came with an additional negative comment about his father. He couldn’t blame anyone for it, knowing just how many lives his father had destroyed. However, he wished that he could be appraised as a good man and promising future ruler without any sort of comparison at all. 

He paused and snickered when he spotted Oikawa ahead, slumped forward on the table as if he were tired though his mouth seemed to be moving constantly. Across the table was his knight Iwaizumi and he seemed like he was about to pop a blood vessel in his forehead as he drummed his fingers on the table. Daichi felt a moment of guilt that he was probably going to make his irritation worse, but he wasn’t about to let the opportunity slip by him. 

“Prince Oikawa! I’m glad to see that you’ve had a chance to relax for a little bit.”

Iwaizumi clicked his tongue in annoyance, but Oikawa immediately took the bait as he straightened up. “Yes! Looks like you could use a break as well. Come over, Sawamura, I’m sure we can find some more wine… somewhere.”

As he picked up several bottles to give them a little shake, Iwaizumi huffed and stood up from the table. “I’ll look for another bottle but after that, I’m cutting you off. Go ahead and humiliate yourself in front of Karasuno’s prince until I come back.”

“Thank you, Iwa-chan! Isn’t he the best?” Oikawa gushed as Daichi took the seat next to him. “That’s why he’s my best friend, even if he can be a brute sometimes.”

Daichi laughed. “Those can sometimes be the best kind of friends, the ones who keep you from doing stupid things.”

“Mmm, true. Speaking of stupid things, I have to confess a few things to you, Sawamura.”

“Oh?”

“Yeah… Before I left Aoba Johsai, my sister gave me strict instructions to be polite to you and although I promised her that I would, I was certain I would hate your guts.”

“Ah, is that so?” Daichi asked with an awkward chuckle. The conversation wasn’t exactly heading in the direction he had hoped for, but he had to acknowledge that having a couple short conversations wouldn’t be enough to clear up all the bad blood that laid between them. 

“But after talking with you a bit… maybe you’re not so bad.”

Daichi snorted. “Thanks.”

“I’m serious! And being a prince myself, I know just how little influence we can have with the ruler of our kingdom. Not that I ever try to influence my sister; I have every confidence in her abilities and she’s keen on reminding me how much I still need to mature.” Oikawa stuck out his lips and huffed. “I have my suspicions that Iwa-chan may be a spy for her. She seems to know too much.”

“Or it’s possible that she just knows you too well.”

“Hmm, that’s possible. Anyway, what I’m trying to say is that I can understand that while your father sits on the throne, there’s only so much you can do in stopping his harsh laws and protecting your citizens who use magic in secret.”

Daichi nodded gravely. “That is true, though the more responsibilities I take on and prove myself to my father, I think he is becoming more willing to listen to my opinions. Influencing him to change his laws and attitude toward folk who use magic is my ultimate goal, I assure you.”

Oikawa twisted in his seat to observe him closely, humming as he leaned against the back of his chair. “You have an honest face, Sawamura. For now, I’ll trust you on that and look forward to some progress next time we meet.”

Daichi smiled warmly. “I hope I will be able to impress you.”

“This was all I could find,” Iwaizumi grumbled as he dropped a heavy bottle onto the table and fell into a seat. “The only ones in the whole place who aren’t slobbering drunk are the Shiratorizawa knights.”

Oikawa was halfway through uncorking the bottle when he stopped and scrunched up his nose. “This was from the Shiratorizawa table?”

“It hasn’t even been opened, damn it! Besides, it’s Fukurodani wine, just the same as what you’ve been drinking.”

“Fiiiiiine, I guess it’ll do. Thank you for getting it, Iwa-chan. Care for some Shiratorizawa tainted wine, Sawamura?”

“Of course,” Daichi laughed. “I was just drinking with them earlier, after all. It may help me understand them better if I knew why you were so offended by them. Unless it’s just Ushijima.”

Oikawa shrugged as he slid a glass toward Daichi and proceeded to pour himself one as well. “I would say they’re guilty by association, following such an dumb ox.”

“He didn’t seem unintelligent when I spoke to him.”

“Hmph, so you’re telling me he didn’t blatantly insult you and your kingdom when you two were comparing how you did things?”

“No. He can be blunt, but he didn’t say anything that was remotely insulting. But I guess I can gather that’s why _you_ hate him so much then? He insulted you?” Daichi asked, smiling around the rim of his glass as he took a long sip.

Oikawa stiffened and Daichi nearly snorted into his wine. Iwaizumi, however, made no attempt to hide his chuckles as he smirked at his friend. Oikawa clicked his tongue and tossed his hair back with a flourish. 

“So what if he did? Had he said such a thing to me now, I probably would have laughed it off or given him a far more insulting comment back. But I was at an impressionable age and the situation definitely didn’t warrant such a comment.”

“What was it?”

Oikawa glared into his glass of wine, quiet for a moment until he sighed heavily. “It was the first and only time I ever bothered attending the famous Shiratorizawa tourney. My parents were proud of my achievements and wanted me to participate in the youth tournaments to show me off to the other nobility or some nonsense like that. I was looking forward to the competition aspect of it, and I ended up doing extremely well in several of the tournaments. I won every archery competition they had, in fact. Everything would have been fine if I hadn’t been goaded into competing with a broadsword as well,” he added, giving Iwaizumi a lethal stare. 

Iwaizumi laughed. “I wasn’t renowned enough to participate back then. Don’t blame me for you getting your ass kicked by Ushijima.”

“It wasn’t that bad! He did beat me, however, and after our match, he came up to me and said ‘you could do better, Oikawa, if you trained in Shiratorizawa for a while’,” Oikawa droned in a mock-Ushijima tone and then snorted loudly. “What an ass.”

Daichi pressed his lips tightly, waiting for the rest of the story but Oikawa was already leaning back in his chair to take another drink. “Was that it?”

“Yup, that was it,” Iwaizumi answered for him, rolling his eyes. 

Daichi winced and scratched the back of his head. “That’s not particularly insulting though?”

“Is that a joke, Sawamura?!” Oikawa screeched, slamming his goblet down and spraying a little wine onto the table. “It was an insult to my skills, my trainers, to the entire kingdom of Aoba Johsai! As if Shiratorizawa is so much better, psht. I still don’t understand how they had him pegged as the next king even back then when he didn’t have even the most basic of social skills.” 

“Well, I do believe Shiratorizawa prizes strength and resiliency above all else. I’m sure that everything else has been drilled into him over time. As for his comment to you back then, I’m still not convinced it was an insult. If anything, I’d say he was paying you a compliment.”

Oikawa stared at him, his mouth hanging open in an unattractive way that Daichi couldn’t help finding amusing considering all the lengths Oikawa went through to keep his appearance impeccable. Once he was over his initial shock, however, he clamped his mouth shut and narrowed his eyes at Daichi.

“Hmm, I think I was wrong to trust you so quickly. Obviously, you are either an imbecile or those _honest_ eyes of yours are hiding something far more suspicious than I initially thought. What’s your game, Sawamura?”

Daichi laughed and shook his head. “Think about it; if he didn’t have faith in your skills, someone like Ushijima would never have suggested you train at Shiratorizawa, who only accepts the best, right? Besides, I think that it would be an incredible opportunity, one I certainly wouldn’t have wasted.”

“Huh?!”

“It may be difficult and at times and humiliating but sparring against someone stronger than you is the best way to improve yourself. When Bokuto visited Karasuno last year, he about killed me in his matches just from his energy level alone, not to mention his skills. But I have no doubt that I improved greatly as a result. To have the same opportunity to train with Ushijima and his knights, I can’t imagine how many skills I would pick up and hone from such a rare experience.”

“I agree completely,” Iwaizumi added as he refilled his own glass.

Oikawa sputtered as he glanced between them. “Iwa-chan, there’s no way you agree with all that!”

“Of course I do. I’ve only been saying it for how many years?” Iwaizumi huffed and set his goblet down, leaning forward to look Oikawa straight in the eyes. “If Ushijima came over to me right now and invited me to his kingdom to train with his knights, I wouldn’t hesitate to accept.”

Oikawa gasped dramatically, clutching at his chest. “You’d abandon me for Ushiwaka?”

“Nah, I’d come back after the training was done. I could use what I learned not only to benefit myself, but also to teach our younger knights a few things. As Prince Daichi said, there would be only benefits to accepting such a proposal. You just need to get over yourself.”

Daichi stifled a laugh at Oikawa’s incredulous expression and cleared his throat before the prince launched himself across the table at his best friend. “Regardless, it might be the right time to give Ushijima another chance, at the very least. If Bokuto’s wedding is any indication, I feel that we’re entering a new age where our kingdoms can finally understand each other better and work together to maintain peace. Although you are not the ruler of the kingdom, your influence could have a great effect on the relationship between Aoba Johsai and Shiratorizawa.”

Oikawa wrinkled his nose and hummed with dissatisfaction, but he didn’t say anything to refute it. In fact, he seemed to grow contemplative as he gazed into his goblet, swirling the wine slowly. Iwaizumi watched Oikawa with amazement before glancing Daichi’s way and giving him an approving nod. 

Glancing into his own glass, Daichi saw that he had already drank most of it and could easily ask for a bit more if he wanted to chat with Oikawa more. His instincts told him, however, that the present moment was perfect for slipping away to leave Oikawa with his thoughts. Anything else Daichi might say could easily undo the great strides he’d made with the cantankerous prince already and he’d rather quit while he was ahead. Besides, the night was wearing on and he was yearning to return to his suite to spend some time with Kuroo.

“I know you may make fun of me for it, Oikawa, but I think it may be time for me to turn in for the evening. We are planning on leaving for home early tomorrow morning, after all.”

Oikawa blinked as he roused from his thoughts and mustered a polite smile for him. “Well, that can’t be helped I suppose. It’s a pity because Lord knows you could probably benefit from socializing outside of Karasuno’s constrained borders. Have a safe journey in the morning and hopefully it won’t be too long before we meet again. I’m anxious to hear about your progress.”

Daichi smiled as he ignored the initial patronizing and focused instead on the hopeful ending to Oikawa’s wishes. “Thank you. I look forward to it as well. Safe journeys yourself as you return to Aoba Johsai.”

With a slight bow toward Oikawa and a nod to Iwaizumi, Daichi turned away and began his hunt for Suga. If he had his way, he’d just leave him at the banquet since he had plans to return straight away anyway after escorting Daichi to their suite, but they were under strict orders from Takeda to make sure Daichi was accompanied by one of his knights at all times. Knowing how much Suga probably had drunk by that point, however, Daichi wasn’t sure how much use he would be if they were attacked by an assassin. 

He finally located Suga in a cozy corner with none other than Lady Nametsu’s knights. At first glance, one would think the two towering men were trying to intimidate Suga, but Daichi wasn’t worried. He knew Suga could handle himself for one thing, and it only took a closer look to see that they all three seemed to be in cahoots with each other. Suga and Futakuchi wore equally devilish smiles as the latter pulled up some of Aone’s tunic, revealing some silk underneath. Aone’s face, as a result, was bright red all the way up to the tips of his ears.

Daichi sighed and walked toward them, waving his hand to catch Suga’s attention. “Come on, I’m ready to go back.”

Suga’s face dropped, and two looming knights turned toward Daichi, giving him the most intimidating _pout_ he’d ever seen.

“Your Majesty, you can’t take him away already. The night is young!” Futakuchi whined, and Aone nodded in agreement as he wrapped his meaty arms around Suga’s shoulders, pulling him gently into his chest. 

Suga laughed in delight and attempted to shake them both off. “Don’t worry, I am only tucking his Highness safely in bed and then I’ll leave him to my companion. After that, I’m free to come back and spend my time as I please!”

As he waited for Suga to disentangle himself from the other two, assuring them both repeatedly that he wouldn’t be long, Daichi heaved an impatient sigh. Suga’s shoulders stiffened when he caught the sound and rushed toward him with an apologetic smile.

“Sorry, Daichi. Are you sure you’re ready to go now though? I’m sure there’s still a lot of socializing you can do. And parties are so much fun!”

Daichi rolled his eyes and placed his hand on Suga’s back to guide him toward the door. “Of course, I’m certain. I’ve accomplished everything I planned to and more, I think. All I want to do now is go to bed.”

“Your Majesty! Hold up a moment,” a voice cried behind them and Daichi stopped in his tracks, groaning as he slowly turned around. 

He perked up slightly when he saw that it was just Konoha, bounding toward him with a devilish grin and a large, lumpy bag in his arms. “Oh, Konoha, what do you have there?”

Konoha barked out a laugh and shoved the bag at Daichi. It was so heavy that nearly dropped it immediately and he winced as the objects inside poked uncomfortably at his chest.

“Did you forget the task you gave me already? This is your surprise for Kuroo! You know,” Konoha paused with a quick look at Suga’s intrigued face and then smirked back at Daichi, “the _medical_ texts. Sure to perk up any brooding scholar.”

Daichi’s breath hitched as he stared down at the bag. “All of this? I only expected a handful of books!”

Konoha’s grin stretched wide as he puffed out his chest. “I think you’ll find that I’m talented in many areas, your Majesty, one of which is making every penny I’m given count.”

—

With a somber sigh, Kuroo wondered if there was a spell to simply absorb knowledge through physical contact as his cheek pressed against the open page of his current text. Whenever he heard distant voices traveling down the hallway outside their suite, he felt like a loyal dog waiting for the return of his master as his head would shoot up, listening for clues that it was Daichi finally coming back. It was the worst when Asahi himself returned earlier for his sleep, sheepishly explaining to Kuroo that Daichi still had quite a few duties to accomplish but that he promised not to be too late. 

_What the hell is too late? Sunrise?_

Sighing again, Kuroo lifted his head up slowly, pausing to unstick the page from his cheek before it tore from the book. He gazed at the multiple book piles around his quarters, marveling at how the majestic sight had greatly lost its luster with his loneliness. Naturally, he knew that once they were back in Karasuno and he didn’t have the access to them that he had in Fukurodani, he would miss them. The feeling didn’t compare, however, to how much he would miss Daichi if he chose to stay in Fukurodani.

The door to the suite creaked open suddenly, and Kuroo gasped as he surged toward his door, wrenching it open to see inside the main room. Suga laughed at his appearance and patted him on the shoulder as he swayed past him on his way to wake up Asahi for his shift. Kuroo pursed his lips and shut the door carefully behind him, finally turning his attention to Daichi as he lingered by the bed.

“Hey,” Daichi said softly, rubbing the back of his head. “I’m sorry I’m so late. It took a while longer than I would have preferred.”

Kuroo smiled and shook his head as he crossed the space between them in only a few long strides. “I know you had a lot of responsibilities. I feel rather ashamed that I’ve been neglecting mine.”

Daichi smiled back at him warmly and opened up his arms. Kuroo fell into them and wrapped Daichi up in his embrace, nuzzling into his soft hair. He breathed his scent in and wrinkled his nose at the mix of other smells clinging to him, perfumes and stale wine. 

“Hey now, can’t you two wait until we’re out of the way?” Suga giggled as he pranced toward the door with Asahi dragging his feet behind him.

“Suga, are you sure you’ll be alright for the trip tomorrow if you stay out all night?”

“Pfft, it’ll be easy! I just have to stay on the horse, right?”

Kuroo giggled and lifted his face out of Daichi’s hair. “I have a feeling that Suga will be napping on the carriage while I end up riding. Of course, it’ll be easier to talk to you during the trip,” he added more softly toward Daichi. “Maybe we should arrange it like that.”

Daichi chuckled. “We’ll talk about it in the morning. Suga, don’t go too crazy and try to come back in time to get _some_ sleep, okay?”

“Fine, I’ll get some sleep! Can’t guarantee it’ll be in here though,” he added with a wink before disappearing into the hallway. 

Asahi winced and gave Daichi and Kuroo one last nod before stepping out himself. “I’ll be right out here if you need me for anything. Have a good sleep.”

“Thank you, Asahi,” Daichi responded and waited until the door shut completely before giving Kuroo an impish smile. “Are you tired?”

“Not at all. Why? Do you have something you’d like to do, your _Majesty_?” Kuroo purred, taking Daichi’s hands in his and bringing them up to his lips to kiss.

Daichi beamed but to Kuroo’s disappointment, he shook his head. “Maybe in a moment. First, I have something for you.”

“For me? Did you save me some wine or dessert?”

“I don’t think there was a drop of wine to be found in the whole place by the time I left. And as for dessert… hmm, I think I missed that. Damn it.” For a moment, Daichi wallowed in his misery, but he quickly shook it off as he leaned down and picked up a giant, lumpy bag. He grunted as he set it down on the bed and Kuroo could tell it was extremely heavy by the way the mattress sagged underneath it. 

“What could you possibly have in there?”

“Open it up and see. Everything inside is for you.”

Kuroo tore his eyes from the bag and glanced at Daichi as he started to bounce on his toes, waiting for him to open it up. He grinned, enjoying seeing Daichi so excited that it trumped his curiosity pertaining to the bag. When Daichi huffed in his impatience though, Kuroo laughed and obediently opened it.

He frowned as he peered inside, seeing what appeared to be a mess of books inside of all different shapes and sizes. Pulling the first one out and reading the title, his mouth fell open.

“The Revised Guide to Reproductive Health? Yeah, um, this will come in handy soon. I know one of the servants is expecting and Ukai did say he wanted me to help.”

Daichi’s laughter startled him and Kuroo for the life of him couldn’t understand what was so funny. 

“Open it up and take a look,” Daichi suggested, biting his lip to still his chuckles.

“You want to see if there are any detailed drawings? I didn’t know that was your thing.”

“Just open the damn book, Tetsu.”

Sighing, Kuroo cracked open the book and flipped through the first few pages. He paused, noticing that the arrangement of the words on the page hardly seemed like a medical text and he took a moment to read a little of it. His eyes widened as they followed the narrow column, the true identity of the book revealing itself at last.

“It’s… a spellbook?” He whispered, closing it and checking the cover again. 

Daichi sidled next to him and peeked underneath the cover, humming as he read the alternate title. “Practical Magic: underutilized spells for everyday use. Hmm, sounds like something Konoha would recommend. He seems to have a lot of tricks up his sleeve.”

Kuroo released his breath slowly. “You got me a spellbook? Like, one I can take home?”

“Yup. I gave Konoha some money to find what he could and to disguise them as medical texts. That way it won’t be so dangerous if someone glances at them. It would still be a good idea not to have them out, I imagine, just in case.”

With his heart pounding, Kuroo finally tore his eyes from the book in his hands and reached into the bag. Book after book he pulled out, every single one was either spells, potions, or a text on magical theory. Some of them were more advanced versions to ones he had perused while studying with Yukie or Konoha, others were different subjects entirely that he hadn't had a chance to look into yet but fascinated him nonetheless. 

“These are all mine?”

“Yes, they’re all yours, Tetsu,” Daichi murmured, wrapping his arm around Kuroo’s waist. “Your own private library.”

Kuroo closed the final book and set the stack down, his vision blurring with hot tears. He sniffed and wiped his eyes on his sleeves as he turned to smother Daichi into his arms.

“I can’t believe you did this. You didn’t have to.”

Daichi sighed as he reached up to cup his face, gently pulling it down toward his own. “I didn’t have to, but I wanted to. Tetsu, there’s only so much I can do with the power and connections that I currently have. I promise you that one day I will be able to give you the freedom to be yourself completely. To give mages, wizards, witches, all of them some peace of mind, as long as they don’t use magic to hurt anyone else.”

“I love you,” Kuroo sighed, leaning in to bump his forehead against Daichi’s. “I don’t deserve you at all.”

“That’s ridiculous. You and I are a match. It would be more truthful to say that we deserve each other more than anyone else… or that no one else should have to put up with either of us,” he added with a laugh.

Kuroo snorted. “I just wish there was something I can do for you in return.”

“Um, I can think of several things I’d like you to do for me right now.”

As if the seductive drop in Daichi’s tone wasn’t indication enough, he leaned further and brushed his lips over Kuroo’s, keeping the kiss feather-light yet tantalizing. Kuroo groaned and dove in for a harder kiss, his hands gripping Daichi’s waist to push him back on the bed. When Daichi’s weight settled on the mattress, however, a few of his books toppled onto the floor.

“Whoops, here, let me put these away really quick,” he murmured between kisses.

“Go ahead, I’m in no rush.”

As Daichi leaned back on the mattress, displaying his body in an excruciatingly inviting way, Kuroo groaned again and rushed to gather his books into his personal luggage. Once they were somewhat contained, he scrambled back to the bed and smoothed his fingers through his hair, putting on his most debonair smile.

“Now, where were we?”

Daichi chuckled and curled a finger, inviting him to come closer. Kuroo smiled wider and crawled up over him like a large cat, even nuzzling Daichi’s torso a little as he made his way back up to his lips.

“Just remember, Asahi’s right outside, so we’ll have to be quiet.”

Kuroo dropped his head onto Daichi’s chest with a heavy sigh. Making love to Daichi while trying to be quiet certainly had its allure, but he was dead set on luring some desperate noises out of him that night. Then he gasped as the most genius idea he’d ever had popped into his head, all thanks to his new friendship with Konoha and Yukie. He straightened himself up until he was straddling Daichi and glanced around at the perimeter of the bed.

“Don’t worry about that, Love. I’ve gained some very worthwhile skills over the past two days. Just give me a moment.”

Daichi cocked his head at him but remained silent, allowing him to recall the right words. When he remembered, he focused and recited them softly, and immediately an almost imperceptible bubble formed around them, the air shimmering slightly. Daichi blinked in surprise and looked around.

“What did you do?”

Kuroo snickered. “Watch this. Asahi!” He shouted in the loudest voice he could muster and guffawed at Daichi’s alarmed expression. The door to their suite, however, remained shut. “Asahi! We need you! Fire! Assassins! Please come save us!”

Daichi propped himself up on his elbows and stared at the door, his mouth dropping open. “He’d never ignore a call like that.” Slowly, a smile formed on his lips and he gazed back up at Kuroo. “He can’t hear us?”

“He wouldn’t be able to hear us even if he were standing in the room. As long as we confine our activities to the bed, you can be as loud as you want, darling.”

“Oh, _this_ will come in handy,” Daichi purred as he grabbed a handful of Kuroo’s tunic and pulled him lower. He stopped suddenly just before their lips met and grimaced down at his own shirt. “I might need your help with this first though. It’s more complicated than usual.”

For the sake of his growing arousal, Kuroo bit his lip hard to resist teasing him and quickly assisted his master with his not-very-complicated shirt. “Anything for his Majesty.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I hope you enjoyed it! I know it took me forever and there were times I wasn't sure I was going to make it through this fic, but I'm so happy that I accomplished it. And this chapter ended up being my favorite anyway, definitely wrapping everything up the way I wanted. Craziness is definitely in full force so I'm not sure when I'll be able to dip my toes into the next fic, I'm pretty sure from here on out each update to the series won't be as, um, chipper as this one (⊙﹏⊙) But don't worry! You know I will always have some fluff balancing the angst and I try not to have things get too dark, or if they do, not for too long.   
> There is also a chance in the future that I'll write some fics for a different fandom entirely, I can already feel my interests starting to spread and inspiration pulling me other directions. No matter what, I have no intention of dropping this series and I hope to continue writing for Haikyuu in general. You know, it just might take me a lot longer to do things than it used to.   
> Thank you all for your incredible encouragement over this series!! It's seriously thanks to you that it's continued so far, it's so dense that it would be easy for me to lose heart in it, even though I've had almost the entire story in my head since I began the first fic. I will do my best to answer comments as well but please don't get offended if I don't answer right away or at all. I treasure them all but I have felt very overwhelmed lately, so hopefully I'll find some chances to chip away at them. *Hugs everyone*


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